TNG looks at alternative processing sites to Darwin for Mount Peake project

TNG’s plans for its TIVAN Processing Facility to be built in Darwin may be scrapped in preference for an alternative site.

TNG’s plans for its TIVAN Processing Facility to be built in Darwin for its flagship $1bn Mount Peake vanadium-titanium-iron project in Central Australia, may be scrapped in preference for an alternative site.

TNG says the environmental approval process for the TIVAN Processing Facility in Darwin is progressing. The company says it is well advanced in a comprehensive assessment of alternative sites for locating the processing facility after it hit a major hurdle with the NT’s environmental watchdog boss.

TNG has proposed a processing facility at Middle Arm, but the EPA has asked the company to justify building at that site.

The Mount Peake mine project has federal and NT major project status and is forecast to create 1700 construction and more than 600 operational jobs.

TNG is targeting production of 6000 tonnes per annum of high-purity vanadium pentoxide from the Mount Peake project, in addition to titanium dioxide pigment and iron ore fines products.

TNG said following recent updates on the Darwin EIS3 the company and its environmental consultants have progressed engagements with technical consultants for the delivery of the required additional/updated technical reports.

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“As part of the ‘direction to provide additional information’ on the supplement to the draft EIS, TNG has been requested to demonstrate that reasonable alternative locations have been properly considered and evaluated using the site selection criteria,” the company said in a statement.

As required in the direction under “Item 1.1 – Site Selection and Justification Process”, the alternative site assessment has to consider environmental and social impacts, including:

TRAFFIC from the transport of materials, including wastes;

INCREASED demands on local infrastructure;

INCREASED impact, including cumulative impact, on air quality;

INCREASED stress on water resources;

IMPACTS on the receiving environment;

IMPACTS from unplanned pollution events;

GREENHOUSE gas emissions; and

COMMUNITY impacts including noise, visual, social and economic impacts.

“TNG’s management has prioritised the assessment and the company’s project engineering team, with assistance from local engineering groups, is preparing a detailed risk/benefit assessment, which includes consideration of locating the TIVAN Processing Facility at alternative sites including the Mount Peake mine site,” the TNG said.