The pilot test work will be completed on a 50 t sample collected from the Piedmont lithium project in February this year, with SGS Canada to complete dense medium and flotation pilot work over the coming weeks.

The concentrate produced will be used in internal and third-party lithium hydroxide pilot programmes, with the results to be used to support a definitive feasibility study and detailed design engineering.

“We are pleased to continue our partnership with SGS Canada on this important pilot-scale test work programme, which will underpin our upcoming definitive feasibility study as well as future detailed design engineering of our spodumene concentrator,” said Piedmont president and CEO Keith Phillips.

“The programme will enable Piedmont to complete future lithium hydroxide test work programmes and also supply large samples of spodumene concentrate to our key customer Tesla, for their own testing purposes.”