Operations
Hydrometallurgy
Hellenic Minerals applies the method of hydrometallurgy, a modern and environmentally friendly method, which has been applied with great success and has been improved after thorough laboratory research and industrial application over the last three decades for the exploitation of ores in the area of Skouriotissa.
The production process applied (in the hydrometallurgical project of the utilization of nickel laterites) is based on the multi-year innovative research in hydrometallurgy and was designed upon the acknowledgement of the technical knowledge and the capability of the Cypriot scientists and technicians.
Raw Material
The company processes imported laterite, an ore which is high in nickel and a recent mining product. Thorough chemical and other analyses indicate the high purity of the ore, as it does not contain any pollutants or heavy metals. This raw material is widely used worldwide by plenty of countries and is transported by sea and land in huge quantities.
After the completion of the recovery of nickel, a potential use of the remaining material could be the rehabilitation of the Skouriotissa mining area.
Final Product
The final product, high-purity nickel sulfate hexahydrate (NiSO4 · 6H2O), is a high–value, basic raw material for the production of electric car batteries. The sole purpose of the project is to export the final product in order to be used in foreign industries.
Commercial production of the end-product is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2021, while the production of the intermediate product (MHP) has already begun in the first quarter of 2021.
The plant’s annual capacity at full production is expected to reach 50,000 tones of nickel sulphate (10,000 tones of contained nickel).
