Firebird Metals signs MOU with Eramet for manganese ore supply

Firebird Metals (ASX: FRB) revealed on Monday it has actually authorized a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with French mining business Eramet for the supply of ore to feed its suggested battery-grade manganese plant in China.

The MOU, claims Firebird, notes an additional “substantial turning point” on its trip to ending up being a near-term, affordable manufacturer of battery-grade manganese sulphate (MnSO4) and manganese tetra oxide (Mn3O4) to provide electrical automobiles.

Under the MOU, Eramet– the globe’s leading manufacturer of manganese– will certainly give ore from its Moanda mines in Gabon for the initial stage of Firebird’s manganese sulphate procedures. The contract complies with the screening of a 200 kg example of Eramet ore that effectively generated MnSO4 and Mn3O4.

Firebird claimed the celebrations additionally will certainly function to transform the MOU right into a long-lasting supply contract by 2026, complying with conclusion of funding and throughout building and construction of the manganese sulphate plant.

Last September, Firebird received all key permits to run the manganese sulphate plant in Jinshi, Hunan district, with very first manufacturing targeted for later on this year. Phase 1 of procedures is developed to refine manganese ore sourced from 3rd parties, and will certainly intend to generate 50,000 tonnes of battery-grade MnSO4 and 10,000 tonnes of Mn3O4 (or the matching of 72,500 tonnes of MnSO4) every year.

According to an usefulness research study launched in Might 2024, the task has a capex of $83.5 million and opex of approximately $609/metric tonne for the manufacturing of battery-grade manganese sulphate.

LMFP technique

The manganese sulphate plant becomes part of Firebird’s development technique centred around the expanding appeal of LMFP (lithium manganese iron phosphate) batteries in China, the biggest EV market worldwide. MnSO4 is a crucial cathode product in LMFP batteries.

The Australian miner visualizes its pilot plant is positioned to be at the leading edge of quick advancement and development in batteries for electrical automobiles, being purposefully situated at the epicentre of the Chinese EV market.

” Safeguarding this trustworthy and calculated supply of manganese ore notes a crucial action in increasing our trip to manufacturing and constructing a solid structure for lasting capital generation,” Firebird handling supervisor Peter Allen commented in a press release.

” This contract with Eramet shows our dedication to developing an up and down incorporated procedure, and placements us to supply on our long-lasting technique of sustaining the tidy power change by ending up being a crucial distributor of manganese for LMFP batteries.”