Published: June 30, 2020 |

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Piedmont Lithium Limited has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Primero Group relating to the company’s planned spodumene concentrator located in the historic Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt in North Carolina.

Piedmont and Primero have partnered since early 2018 and Primero has been the lead engineering consultant for Piedmont’s scoping studies, concentrator design, and metallurgical testwork management. Building on this strong relationship, Piedmont and Primero have entered into the MOU to work together on an exclusive basis to agree binding documentation relating to the definitive feasibility study (DFS), front-end engineering design, EPC delivery, commissioning, ramp-up and contract operations of the spodumene concentrator.

The EPC and operations contract models contemplated by the MOU provide incentives for Primero to achieve safety, schedule, budget, process performance, production, and recovery targets. The arrangements contemplated by the MOU create a delivery framework which significantly reduces technical, operational and commercial risks associated with the concentrator. The company continues to evaluate other strategic partnerships that could enhance performance in the design, construction and operations of other aspects of Piedmont’s integrated lithium hydroxide business.

Primero is recognized as a world leader in the design, construction, optimization, and contract operations of spodumene projects globally. Primero’s client list includes the existing operations of Pilbara Minerals, Altura, Alliance Minerals and Galaxy and engineering services performed for Sigma Lithium, Savannah Resources, Core Lithium and many others. Primero’s EPC and contract operations services at Alliance Minerals’ Bald Hill mine notably achieved nameplate capacity within two months of plant commissioning.

“Piedmont is a world-class project surrounded by infrastructure and ideally located near potential customers in the USA’s auto alley. We are excited to continue the relationship we have established with Piedmont Lithium over the past three years and we look forward to applying our specialist expertise in project implementation and operations to assist Piedmont in advancing the only spodumene project currently under development in the United States,” said Cam Henry, managing director of Primero.

“We are very pleased to be working with Primero as we advance our integrated lithium hydroxide project. Primero is the world-leader in the design, construction and operation of spodumene concentrate plants, with extensive involvement in many of the producing operations in Western Australia and leadership roles in projects in Canada, Brazil and Portugal. This is a key milestone as we build out our project execution team, with an emphasis on working with proven processes and experienced professionals,” said Keith D. Phillips, president and CEO of Piedmont.

About Piedmont Lithium
Piedmont Lithium Limited holds a 100 percent interest in the Piedmont Lithium Project located within the world-class Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt (TSB) and along trend to the Hallman Beam and Kings Mountain mines, historically providing most of the western world’s lithium between 1950 and 1990. The TSB has been described as one of the largest lithium provinces in the world and is located approximately 40 kilometres west of Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a premier location to be developing and integrated lithium business based on its favorable geology, proven metallurgy and easy access to infrastructure, power, R&D centres for lithium and battery storage, major high-tech population centres and downstream lithium processing facilities.

The project was originally explored by Lithium Corporation of America which eventually was acquired by FMC Corporation. FMC and Albemarle Corporation both historically mined the lithium bearing spodumene pegmatites within the TSB and developed and operated the two lithium processing facilities in the region which were the first modern spodumene processing facilities in the western world.

The company is in a unique position to leverage its position as a first mover in restarting exploration in this historic lithium producing region with the aim of developing a strategic, U.S. domestic source of lithium to supply the increasing electric vehicle and battery storage markets.

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