Atlantic Lithium says its Ewoyaa lithium project in Ghana also has almost 14 million tonnes of feldspar that might prove to be a valuable by-product.

An initial mineral resource for Ewoyaa’s feldspar showed a JORC-compliant resource of 15.7m tonnes at a 40% grade, of which 13.7 mt or 87% was in the measured and indicated categories.

Atlantic added the Feldspar resource is confined to the Ewoyaa Main, Ewoyaa Northeast, Ewoyaa South-1 and Ewoyaa South-2 deposits, which constitute approximately the first five years of planned spodumene concentrate production at the project overall.

Now with a JORC resource, Atlantic added it will be able to include feldspar in future feasibility studies with results of a specific study into the viability of its commercial production expected in the first quarter of 2024.

Atlantic said it will look at other areas that might contain commercial feldspar as exploration expands generally across the Ewoyaa site,

Widely used in the ceramics industry; the company believes Ewoyaa could become a major producer of domestic feldspar in Ghana, with metallurgical work suggesting material from Ewoyaa can produce industry-standard crockery comparable with other sources.

Neil Herbert, executive chairman, said: “The maiden Feldspar MRE now confirms the Project's potential as a major source of domestic feldspar in Ghana, capable of delivering industry-standard saleable ware.

"Currently, the economic outcomes indicated by the Definitive Feasibility Study for the project do not consider the production of feldspar at Ewoyaa.

"With only the first approximate five years of planned lithium production included in the Feldspar MRE, there is significant potential to further grow the resource.

 The Feldspar MRE will then be incorporated into the ongoing Feldspar Study which is evaluating the prospective market conditions and viability of producing feldspar at the project."