Pensana plc (LON:PRE) has provided the following update on the Longonjo project:
Concrete foundations have been poured for the 316-person modular camp manufactured in South Africa for despatch to site later this month.
The on-site team, under the leadership of experienced Project Manager Kevin Botha, is continuing to make good progress with preparatory works ahead of main construction anticipated in May 2024, with cold commissioning commencing in August 2025.
An order has been placed with NCP International, a global supplier of new and refurbished comminution equipment based in South Africa, for the US$2.3 million ball mill for delivery from Johannesburg to meet the construction and commissioning timelines for the concentrator plant.
The detailed design and procurement documentation for other main long lead time or critical path items, such as the thickeners and flotation columns in the concentrator section, along with key equipment in the recovery/MREC section, such as the sulphuric acid plant, have been completed and orders will be placed with the selected vendors shortly.
Grupo Nov has completed the civils and services connections for the initial section of the 316-person modular construction camp. The US$1.3 million camp has been fabricated off site and is ready for shipment from Johannesburg to site during March 2024.
All the site access roads have been completed within the licence area. The 5,000-litre potable water tank is ready for installation to support the construction camp and the future plant facilities.
High priority is being given to community relations and in particular to the resettlement action and livelihoods restoration plans which are progressing according to plan and are being well received.
The agricultural demonstration plots are in their second year and continue to generate excellent baseline data. They are providing the opportunity to train local farmers in the latest agricultural methods.
The mine and processing plant will be constructed from May 2024 and commissioning of the various circuits will commence in March 2025 and continue until final commissioning in April 2026.
A schedule of the expenditures is set out below.
| Quarterly Expenditures | US Dollars | Activity |
| May – July 2024 | 5 044 000 | Civil and Earth Works |
| August – October 2024 | 18 889 000 | Structural and Mechanical installation |
| November – January 2025 | 32 435 000 | Platework and piping installation |
| February – April 2025 | 36 032 000 | Electrical installation |
| May -July 2025 | 36 185 000 | Instrumentation installation |
| August – October 2025 | 38 274 000 | Cold Commissioning |
| November – January 2026 | 23 096 000 | Hot Commissioning |
| February – April 2026 | 6 476 000 | Final Commissioning |
| Total | 196 432 000 |
Tim George, Pensana CEO commented: “The growing on-site team, supported by experienced contractor Grupo Nov, is fully operational and is well advanced with the earth works and other preparatory works ahead of the commencement of the main civils and earthworks campaigns in the weeks ahead.
We are particularly pleased with the attention to health and safety, environmental performance, the training completed on site and the continued focus on the community engagement programs. This will continue to be a priority as we build out the workforce which will increase to over 650 people on site at peak construction later this year.”
