Australian Bauxite's aluminium fluoride confidence rising

　　Confidence lucrative aluminium fluoride production will go ahead at in Tasmania is increasing.

　　An 87 per cent-owned subsidiary of Midlands miner Australian Bauxite Limited - chaired by former Tasmanian Labor premier Paul Lennon - is constructing a pilot plant on the mainland to prove up aluminium fluoride production.

　　The subsidiary, Alcore, aims to start commercial production at Bell Bay with a 10,000 tonnes per year module, before ramping up capacity over time to 60,000 tonnes per year.

　　"At current cost scenarios, this could achieve an EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) of approximately $50 million per annum," Sydney-headquartered Australian Bauxite said in its September quarterly report.

　　"Aluminium fluoride is an essential ingredient in aluminium smelters and Alcore's planned production in Bell Bay, Tasmania, will provide security of supply and increased recycling of wastes for Australasian aluminium production, which is worth more than $4.5 billion per year."

　　It said results from process flowsheet modelling for a commercial 10,000 tonnes per year plant had increased confidence in Alcore's process and supported its approach to process development.

　　"Australian aluminium smelters rely entirely on imported aluminium fluoride, typically more than 70 per cent from China, but this proportion has reduced by more than 60 per cent in 2021, illustrating the supply risks," it said.

　　"The commercialisation of Alcore's proprietary technology and development of Australia's first production plant will provide much-needed security of supply for Australasian aluminium shelters."

　　Bell Bay production would be expected to start with about 50 jobs, potentially rising to several hundred as more modules were added.

　　Meanwhile, Australian Bauxite (ABx) said a bauxite mining lease for its Fingal Rail deposit in the Midlands was "being progressed".

　　"A bulk sample of fertiliser-grade bauxite is being extracted for evaluation by a local fertiliser manufacturer that considers ABx bauxite to be an essential ingredient in their superphosphate," it said.

　　It said the DL130 bauxite deposit west of Launceston was being assessed as an alternative supplier of cement-grade bauxite because mining there might speed development of its Deep Leads rare earth elements discovery.