Australia’s Danakali (ASX, LON:DNK) has finished the first phase of development of its world-class Colluli potash project in Eritrea, Africa, which takes the company a step closer to the construction phase and then into production in 2022.
The Perth-based miner is now moving to Phase 2, which includes finalizing geotechnical work, buying critical equipment such as a reverse osmosis plant and looking into optimization opportunities.
Colluli, a 50:50 JV between Danakali and the Eritrean National Mining Corporation (ENAMCO), has been called “a game changer” for the country’s economy.
Colluli, a 50:50 joint venture
between Danakali and the Eritrean National Mining Corporation (ENAMCO), has
been called “a game changer” for Eritrea’s economy, as it’s expected to become
one of the world’s most significant and lowest cost sources of sulphate of
potash (SOP), a premium grade fertilizer.
“The government will benefit from
the longer-term development of the project, and the expected significant boost
to royalties, taxation and exports, and from jobs and skills and economic
development of the region,” chief executive, Niels Wage told MINING.COM
last year.
The development of the Colluli
potash projects coincides with the move towards diplomatic relations between
the once feuding countries of Eritrea and Ethiopia, which officially declared
peace in July 2018.
Welcome boost
A United Nations report published last year suggested that
Colluli could significantly boost the economy of Eritrea, a country that, until
2018, was on the UN’s sanctions list.
The document estimated that
Colluli would contribute 3% of the country’s GDP by 2021 and 50% of the
nation’s exports by 2030, while providing 10,000 direct and indirect local
jobs.
It also identified how the mine could help Eritrea advance its sustainable development agenda, which are 13 priority Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include: no poverty, zero hunger, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, sustainable economic growth and decent work, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, climate action, peace, justice and strong institutions and partnerships for the SDGs.
In the initial phase of
operation, Wage said, Colluli would produce more than 472,000 tonnes a year of
Sulphate of Potash. Annual output could rise to almost 944,000 tonnes if
Danakali decides to go ahead with a second phase of development, as the project
has a possible 200-year plus mine-life.
The asset has the potential to
produce other fertilizer products, such as Sulphate of Potash Magnesium
(SOP-M), muriate of potash (MOP) and gypsum, along with rock salt. There is
also potential for kieserite and mag chloride to be commercialized with minimal
further processing required.