Maboumine Demonstration Plant
Setting up the future, full-scale commercial plant for success
Maboumine, subsidiary of COMILOG (ERAMET group)
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Gabon
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2012—2015
Remote location.
Large commercial plant project.
New process for niobium, REE, and uranium recovery.
Challenges
- ERAMET is developing a new process to recover niobium, rare earth elements, and uranium from a deposit in Gabon owned by Maboumine.
- A prefeasibility study and a feasibility study were needed for a 1:200-scale demonstration pilot plant that would prove the chemistry and optimize the flow sheet before the commercial plant was constructed.
Solutions
- Identified process modifications that dramatically improved the operating efficiency of the process.
- Designed the demonstration plant to test the performance of the novel flow sheet on a small scale. Optimized and extracted design criteria prior to launching the large commercial plant project.
- Our experts helped plan and oversee test work to design the demonstration plant, facilitate technology selection, and determine appropriate materials for the plant's construction.
Highlights
- The technical improvements that were suggested bolstered the project's economics, particularly around the leach circuits.
- The use of a modularized design for most of the demonstration plant was a key feature, motivated by the remoteness of the site and the size of the facility. Ultimately, it increased confidence in the schedule and the quality of the work during execution.
- Comprehensive infrastructure that supported the site was designed, including water supply, power generation, and a site camp.
“Thanks again for your contribution to our project ... I hope we will be able to work together again in the future.”
Project numbers
500 m x 250 m demonstration plant1:200-scale demonstration pilot plant