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Pan Asia Metals has positive discussions on plans for Thai lithium project

Published: 16:26 21 Oct 2020 AEDT

Pan Asia Metals Ltd - Pan Asia Metals has positive discussions on plans for Thai lithium project
PAM intends to serve Thailand's aims to develop as a major EV hub

Pan Asia Metals Ltd (ASX:PAM) has had positive discussions with authorities in Phang Nga Province, Thailand, including the provincial government, for its Reung Kiet Lithium Project.

PAM has submitted a presentation covering all aspects of the project including methods of ongoing exploration, conceptual mining and concentrate production, and the potential for downstream value-adding industries in Phang Nga and Thailand.

The presentation and subsequent discussions were aimed at assisting Phang Nga Provincial Government in their considerations for the proposed mining and industrial development areas.

Provincial Government discussions

Pan Asia was recently invited by the chief executive officer of the Phang Nga Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO), a Phang Nga Provincial Government coordinating body, to represent PAM and the Reung Kiet Lithium Project.

The meeting was also attended by the head of Phang Nga Provincial Industry along with the representatives of the Phang Nga Provincial Public Works and Town Planning Office.

Phang Nga Provincial Industry head has been appointed by the Phang Nga governor as chairman of the Phang Nga New Town Planning Committee.

During the meeting, the chairman of the committee conveyed its support for the Reung Kiet Lithium Project.

PAO wants to ensure that the requirements of the Reung Kiet project are incorporated into the town planning committee’s zoning plans to ensure that the project can progress once exploration and feasibility results prove positive.

“Can bring opportunities”

PAM managing director Paul Lock said: “We have been working hard in Phang Nga province and we are very happy with the positive reception that the Reung Kiet Lithium Project is receiving from the Phang Nga Provincial Government and surrounding communities.

“Reung Kiet is strategically located and based on peer feasibility work the project is positioned to potentially be one of the lowest-cost suppliers of lithium chemicals in the global peer group.

“This is a project that can bring substantial opportunities and value to Phang Nga and Thailand.”

Pan Asia is planning its second Reung Kiet drilling program with expectations that this will begin in the coming months following the conclusion of the current Khao Soon drilling program.

Potential cost curve leader

Reung Kiet is a hard rock project with lepidolite rich pegmatites chiefly composed of quartz, albite and lepidolite with minor cassiterite and tantalite as well as other accessory minerals including some rare earth.

Lepidolite does not require roasting and has a suite of by-products which are recoverable at the concentrator and processing stages of the flow sheet.

Peer feasibility work has demonstrated that lepidolite has the potential to be one of the highest purity sources of battery-grade lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide.

Moreover, lepidolite is one of the lowest-cost sources of lithium hydroxide on sustaining costs basis and has one of the lowest capex requirements on a per ton LCE basis after by-products.

Thailand aims to be EV hub

Next-generation automotive, including HEVs, PHEVs and BEVs, is one of 10 ‘S-curve’ industries targeted by the Thai Government under the ‘Thailand 4.0’ development strategy.

Thailand’s Ministry of Industry wants to make the country a major EV production hub within five years and investors in S-curve industries are likely to benefit from government incentives and privileges.

There are more than 25 vehicle projects afoot with half focusing on BEVs, and 10 battery projects.

Manufacturers include Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Mercedes, Audi, Draxlmaier, Jatco and Delta while Chinese-based Great Wall Motors assumed ownership of General Motors Rayong-based vehicle manufacturing facilities to become an EV leader in Thailand.

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