Orbite Aluminae Inc. (TSX: ORT.) (“Orbite”) announces that it has awarded the contract for the bankable Feasibility Study on its planned metallurgical grade alumina (SGA) plant to top ranking engineering firms GENIVAR Inc. (“GENIVAR”) and Johnston-Vermette. The contract is being awarded following a highly competitive call for tender exercise directed towards qualified national and international engineering firms.
“The NI 43-101 compliant Feasibility Study involves the fast tracked release, by the end of November 2011, of a Preliminary Economical Assessment (PEA) or Scoping Study which is currently being concluded by independent qualified persons at GENIVAR. The preliminary independent evaluation of the PEA covers all aspects of the project and is expected to confirm the technology brought forward by Orbite and its commercialization potential. The document will then be published on the company’s website” said Richard Boudreault, Orbite’s President and CEO.
“Upon closer examination of the project by GENIVAR and Johnston-Vermette, we have recognized the potential economic and environmental advantages that Orbite’s state-of-the-art process offers over the actual existing alumina production process in particular the Bayer process. This project shows excellent potential to become an example of sustainability, reducing residues and involving local resources, and community, in the life cycle of alumina production” said André-Martin Bouchard, Vice-President, Environment of GENIVAR and spokesperson for the GENIVAR/Johnston-Vermette consortium. “Our role in this Feasibility Study is to further confirm the extent of Orbite’s potential to offer a viable alternative to the aluminum industry worldwide, on top of generating value added products in a sustainable manner.”
“We are proud to have been selected by Orbite and to be associated with such a dynamic and successful company, through our team of highly qualified experts,” said Pierre Shoiry, President of GENIVAR.
The Feasibility Study scope of work involves a comprehensive review of all project characteristics—from process validation to capital costs, operational costs, and basic engineering leading to the detailed engineering, marketing, environmental, health & safety, and other considerations—in order to further validate and integrate the various technical aspects of the project. The Feasibility Study report is expected to be published during the first half of 2012.
“In awarding the contract for the Feasibility Study for our metallurgical alumina, Orbite is taking, on schedule, another big step closer to the commercialization of its process and products,” said Richard Boudreault, Orbite’s President and CEO. “Once released, the reports are expected to validate and detail our unique alumina extraction process and pave the way for the production of metallurgical alumina to meet growing demand from the global aluminum industry.”