Taganito HPAL Plant Project

• THPAL Plant operation has been stable after commissioning was completed in 2014.
• Nickel extraction in laterite is enhanced at 249 °C in THPAL autoclave.
• Hydrolysis reaction of Fe and Al are far from equilibrium state in THPAL autoclave.

This paper will present Commissioning and Operation Status of Taganito HPAL Plant Project in the Philippines. The Project will produce 30,000 Ni-tons and 2600 Co-tons per year as Mixed (Ni/Co) Sulfide for export to Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (SMM) Nickel Refinery in Japan as its raw material. The plant is designed taking into consideration the improvements, technical data and operation know-how gained from the successful operation of Coral Bay Nickel Corporation (CBNC) in the Philippines, the sister company of Taganito HPAL Nickel Corporation (THPAL). The Plant Commissioning was completed in June 2014 and reached monthly production corresponding to its nameplate capacity in August 2014. After that, the operation has been stable. This paper will also discuss nickel leaching and removal performance of iron and aluminum in the autoclave at elevated temperatures for more efficient HPAL operation.