AMN - SENEGAL – Avenira to expand phosphate project

Avenira Limited has started work to significantly expand production at its Baobab Phosphate Project in Senegal. The company is selling product on a small scale but is about to expand operations.

Addressing the recent Paydirt Africa Down Under mining conference in Perth, Avenira managing director and CEO Louis Calvarin, said, “We are on track with plans to significantly expand the project to produce 1 million tonnes per annum of high-grade phosphate rock product concentrate.

“One of the key milestones in the lead-up to that expansion will be the receipt of a revised exploitation permit which we are confident will be granted within the very near future.”

He said a feasibility study and other government key approvals for the expansion were well advanced.

Avenira will take advantage of existing site infrastructure to develop the large mineral resource base at Baobab.

The expansion studies have focused on replacing the project’s existing circuit with industry standard flotation, magnetic separation and drying processes.

The enhanced recoveries provided by the circuit upgrade will lead to improved quality and reduced operating costs in the production of a high-grade (35%+ P2O5) premium product.

The Baobab project is 80% owned by Avenira with the remaining 20% owned by Senegal’s largest private employer and experienced agriculture industry participant, the Mimran Group.

Louis Calvarin said Avenira had the benefit of supportive government, social and community groups and had built a proven history of operating in Senegal.

The company has also established strong relations with regional and international phosphate rock customers

He said phosphate rock was an important ingredient for essentially all phosphate products. It provides 90% of global demand for use in fertilisers and with global food demand predicted to double by 2050, the market outlook remained strong.

He told delegates that Africa was emerging was a major player in the fertiliser market with a large, established industry in North and West Africa, and its product much sought after in Europe, India and America.

“Africa is the fastest growing fertiliser market and this provides a significant growth opportunity for Avenira,” he said.

www.avenira.com