Green Shift Commodities Ltd. (
TSXV:
GCOM), (“
Green Shift” or the
“
Company”) is pleased to announce the results of
further test work that show membrane technology being utilized for
testing at the Company’s Berlin Deposit to be highly efficient in
separating uranium, battery commodities and rare earth elements
found in the Company’s Berlin Deposit (“
Berlin”).
Prior test work showed that not only could membranes significantly
reduce the size of the processing plant but could simplify the
recovery of phosphoric acid in comparison to the design modelled in
the previous economic assessment of the Project completed in 2013.
The current reported results are from tests undertaken during the
second phase of a three-phase testing program, completed earlier
this year.
Highlights
- The test work was successful in
achieving uranium, nickel, vanadium and rare earth element
recoveries of over 95%.
- Phosphoric acid recovery is
comparatively lower and other membranes will be tested to improve
its recovery.
- The greater efficiency of membranes
in separating rare earth elements could significantly increase the
potential of the Berlin Deposit.
Trumbull Fisher, Director, and CEO commented,
“We are very pleased and encouraged by the improved recoveries
achieved by membranes in recovering the green energy metals during
metallurgical testing on our Berlin asset. This asset contains
commodities that are critical to the global green movement as we
drive towards cleaner sources of energy and energy storage. In
addition, we continue to seek other battery metal assets that would
compliment Berlin’s core commodities and be accretive to our
Company’s vision of becoming a go-to source of clean energy
commodities.”
Membrane Efficiency
Test work completed to date demonstrates that
membrane separation is a highly efficient process at concentrating
uranium, nickel, vanadium, rare earth elements, molybdenum and zinc
from a liquid that was synthesized to match the pregnant leach
solution (“PLS”) – the liquid generated from leaching the
mineralized rock - from the Berlin Deposit. The results show that
metals are effectively separated from the PLS. While phosphoric
acid recovery is not as good with the selected membranes, further
work will consider options to improve this – aiming for a target
range of 80% to 90% recovery.
Table 1. Results of membrane test work
showing the efficiency of metals and phosphate recovery from a
pregnant liquor solution that simulated a PLS from the Berlin
Deposit.
Commodity |
Percentage Recovery |
Option A |
Option B |
Uranium |
97.1 |
99.7 |
Nickel |
97.5 |
99.9 |
Vanadium |
97.0 |
99.9 |
Phosphoric acid |
79.3 |
63.6 |
Rare Earth Elements |
98.5 |
99.7 |
Molybdenum |
86.5 |
97.6 |
Zinc |
96.6 |
99.9 |
|
|
|
Flow Rate Reduction (%) |
90.2 |
81.2 |
Next Steps
- In response to the rapid adoption
of lithium ferro-phosphate (“LFP”) as safe, reliable batteries by
the electric vehicle industry, it is a priority for the Company to
assess the potential costs/benefits of producing ferro-phosphate
from Berlin. It will be assessed as to whether the phosphate from
Berlin can be combined with iron to form ferro-phosphate for LFP
batteries, rather than simply producing phosphoric acid as was
originally contemplated.
- The rapid advances in sensor-based
sorting technology requires that this be tested on mineralized
material from Berlin. This technology uses scanners to detect
physical and or chemical characteristics of mineral-bearing
components of the crushed rock as it emerges from the mine and uses
a jet of compressed air to remove the mineralized fragments from
waste fragments. If this technology works on mineralized material
from Berlin, it could significantly enhance the efficiency, and
could potentially lower operating costs, of a future processing
plant.
- Further work is planned to strive
to improve the recovery of phosphoric acid from the 63%-70%
achieved so far to a target range of 80% to 90%.
Qualified Person
The information related to membrane systems in
this news release has been verified and approved by Johann van der
Westhuysen, MEng, BEng, Managing Director of Synexus (Pty) Ltd, a
process engineering services company that specializes in membrane
separation applications in hydrometallurgy. Mr. Van der Westhuysen
is registered as a Professional Engineer (PrEng) (Chemical) with
the Engineering Council of South Africa and as a Chartered Chemical
Engineer (CEng) with the Institution of Chemical Engineers,
Engineering Council of the United Kingdom. Through this
designation, Mr. Van der Westhuysen is a Qualified Person (“QP”) as
defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for
Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators. The
synthetic PLS was prepared by, and the membrane test work conducted
under the direct control of, the QP. All test samples were
submitted under chain-of-custody for analyses at an accredited
laboratory, and all analytical results were received directly by
the QP. The data analysis and the opinions expressed on the data
are those of the QP.
For further information on the Berlin deposit,
refer to the technical report entitled “Technical Report on the
Berlin Uranium – Battery Commodity Deposit, Colombia” dated April
25, 2022, which is available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR
at www.sedar.com.
About Green Shift Commodities
Ltd.
Green Shift Commodities Ltd. is focused on the
exploration and development of commodities needed to help
decarbonize and meet net-zero goals.
The Company is developing the Berlin Deposit in
Colombia. Apart from uranium, for clean nuclear energy, the Berlin
Deposit contains battery commodities including nickel, phosphate,
and vanadium. Phosphate is a key component of lithium-ion
ferro-phosphate (“LFP”) batteries that are being used by a growing
list of electric vehicle manufacturers. Nickel is a component of
various lithium-ion batteries, while vanadium is the element used
in vanadium redox flow batteries. Neodymium, one of the rare earth
elements contained within the Berlin Deposit, is a key component of
powerful magnets that are used to increase the efficiency of
electric motors and in generators in wind turbines.
For further information, please
contact:
Trumbull Fisher, CEO, Green Shift Commodities
Ltd.E: tfisher@greenshiftcommodities.comTel: (416) 917-5847
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes certain “forward
looking statements”. Forward-looking statements consist of
statements that are not purely historical, including statements
regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intensions for the
future, and include, but not limited to, statements with respect
to: the potential metallurgical recoveries and results of the test
work; the potential for improving the recovery of phosphate; the
successful reactivation of the Berlin Project; the future direction
of the Company’s strategy; and other activities, events or
developments that are expected, anticipated or may occur in the
future. These statements are based on assumptions, including that:
(i) the ability to achieve positive outcomes from test work; (ii)
actual results of our exploration, resource goals, metallurgical
testing, economic studies and development activities will continue
to be positive and proceed as planned, (iii) requisite regulatory
and governmental approvals will be received on a timely basis on
terms acceptable to Green Shift Commodities Ltd. (iv) economic,
political and industry market conditions will be favourable, and
(v) financial markets and the market for uranium, battery
commodities and rare earth elements will continue to strengthen.
Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may
cause actual results, performance or developments to differ
materially from those contained in such statements, including, but
not limited to: (1) changes in general economic and financial
market conditions, (2) changes in demand and prices for minerals,
(3) the Company’s ability to source commercially viable
reactivation transactions and / or establish appropriate joint
venture partnerships, (4) litigation, regulatory, and legislative
developments, dependence on regulatory approvals, and changes in
environmental compliance requirements, community support and the
political and economic climate, (5) the inherent uncertainties and
speculative nature associated with exploration results, resource
estimates, potential resource growth, future metallurgical test
results, changes in project parameters as plans evolve, (6)
competitive developments, (7) availability of future financing, (8)
the effects of COVID-19 on the business of the Company, including,
without limitation, effects of COVID-19 on capital markets,
commodity prices, labour regulations, supply chain disruptions and
domestic and international travel restrictions, (9) exploration
risks, and other factors beyond the control of Green Shift
Commodities Ltd. including those factors set out in the “Risk
Factors” in our Management Discussion and Analysis dated May 2,
2022 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 available on SEDAR
at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used
in the preparation of such information, although considered
reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise
and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on
forward-looking statements. Green Shift Commodities Ltd. assumes no
obligation to update such information, except as may be required by
law.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the
policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for
the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.
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