Giyani Metals CEO on progress at Johannesburg demo plant - ICYMI

Giyani Metals Corp (TSX-V:EMM, OTC:CATPF) CEO Charles FitzRoy talked with Proactive about the commissioning progress of their demonstration plant in Johannesburg.

While the company targets first production of high-purity manganese sulfate monohydrate this year, unforeseen setbacks like power and water outages have caused potential delays into early Q1.

FitzRoy highlighted the plant's role in de-risking the main facility planned for Botswana and noted minor adjustments that improve operational insights.

Proactive: Charlie, very good to speak with you. You're out with an update on the commissioning of your demonstration plant in Johannesburg. While you're still aiming for that first production of high-purity manganese sulfate monohydrate by the end of the year, you also mentioned it might slip into early next year. Could you elaborate?

Charles FitzRoy: Yes, this relates to the news release we put out this morning. The demonstration plant is in its very final stages of commissioning. Construction will be complete shortly. Unfortunately, we experienced a local incident involving theft and vandalism at Eskom power stations, South Africa’s national power supply. This caused a 24-hour power outage.

Additionally, planned water maintenance in the area coincided with this, leaving the plant without water for five days. Following this, we needed a 24-hour ramp-up period to resume operations. Altogether, this resulted in a seven-day setback, which impacts our commissioning timeline.

Proactive: So how does this setback affect the production timeline?

Charles FitzRoy: We’re still targeting first production this year, but there is a risk it could shift into early Q1. Minor adjustments made during the process have also slightly added to the timeline. The team is working hard, even over Christmas, to meet our targets.

Proactive: This demonstration plant is key to your larger facility in Botswana. How is it contributing to your overall strategy?

Charles FitzRoy: The demonstration plant is crucial. It’s designed to identify risks and issues before scaling up to the commercial facility in Botswana. A smaller lab-scale or pilot facility wouldn't have allowed us to identify these nuances.

This plant is essentially a small-scale version of a full production facility, measuring 100 meters long and 50 meters high. Its scale has enabled us to pinpoint and address potential challenges, ensuring a smoother commercial ramp-up in Botswana.

Proactive: It’s also tied to your long-term EV market strategy, correct?

Charles FitzRoy: Absolutely. The demonstration plant is essential for securing offtake agreements and de-risking the commercial ramp-up. Additionally, it will serve as a training and R&D facility, enabling us to test different manganese forms and battery applications. For instance, we’re exploring options for oxide and carbonate variants for different battery chemistries.

We’re very close to commissioning despite the recent setbacks, and the team remains committed to delivering results.