Valence Industries Graphite Manufacturing Ready to Commence

Melbourne, Australia (ABN Newswire) - Valence Industries Ltd. (Valence Industries) (ASX:VXL) (VXLO) is nearing completion of the refurbishment of the Phase 1 Plant at its flagship Uley Graphite facilities in South Australia.

The Phase I plant has two circuits. The Primary Processing Circuit is used to wash and grind the raw run of mine material and produce a feed product for second stage processing. The Secondary Processing Circuit then screens, dries and packages the graphite to produce Valence Industries multiple flake graphite product lines.


Phase I Program - Primary Process Circuit

Over the past week Valence Industries received delivery of the new mill that forms part of the primary processing circuit in the Phase I Plant.

The installation of the mill along with the remainder of the Primary Processing Circuit will be completed over the coming weeks, which fits the timing of full commissioning for run of mine stockpile treatment, as the Secondary Processing Circuit needs to be commissioned first.


Phase I Program - Secondary Process Circuit

The work on the Secondary Processing Circuit is effectively complete and ready for recommissioning using the stockpiled fines materials once final governmental approval is received.

To date Valence Industries has refurbished the Secondary Processing Circuit and has successfully pressure and integrity tested each aspect of the plant and equipment. As soon as final governmental approval is received, processing of the existing graphite fines stockpiles can commence for supply to customers.

An important component of the Secondary Processing Circuit has been the installation of a new gas farm. This has allowed Valence to successfully test the upgraded graphite drying systems at the Uley Graphite site.

The use of gas-fired drying facilities is consistent with the company's commitment to deliver environmentally sensitive and sustainable growth. The gas-fired system allows Valence Industries to better manage its greenhouse gas emissions in its graphite manufacturing. The use of gas provides for much lower emissions than other sources such as petrol, diesel or electricity.

The company has progressively employed and trained people from the local region to operate the Phase I processing and manufacturing plant. The recent fund raising will, along with a range of other initiatives, allow this program to be accelerated once final governmental approval has been obtained and will allow a relatively rapid ramp up time.

Completion of the Phase I refurbishment program is an exciting stage for the company and will be a significant milestone. The capacity to run the only graphite processing facility in Australia with Phase I to produce up to 14,000 tonnes of graphite each year is a significant step forward and confirms Valence Industries leadership in this area and places South Australia at the forefront of new graphite manufacturing globally.

To view photographs, please visit:
http://media.abnnewswire.net/media/en/docs/ASX-VXL-820153.pdf


About Valence Industries:

Valence Industries Ltd. (ASX:VXL) is an industrial manufacturing company producing high grade flake graphite products for distribution and sale to global markets. Valence Industries owns established processing facilities and infrastructure to manufacture a wide range of graphite product lines for multiple applications and multiple industries. Valence Industries produces and sells its graphite products from its Uley Graphite facilities in regional South Australia for delivery to diversified markets for graphite in the Asia Pacific, Europe and North America.



Contact:

Valence Industries
Christopher S. Darby, CEO & Managing Director
info@valenceindustries.com
+61 8 8418 8564