Pittong kaolin mine doubles production capacity after massive upgrade

The Suvo Strategic Minerals mine, which extracts kaolin for export, has announced it produced more than 1000 tonnes of the material in a week last month at its Pittong facility, between Linton and Skipton.

This is on track with its plans to improve production to 50,000 tonnes per year in 2023, and now has the capacity to produce up to 60,000 tonnes.

The mine has operated in the area for 50 years - the company took over operations in 2021, and celebrated the 50-year anniversary late last year.

READ MORE: Kaolin mine celebrates 50 years, future projects

Kaolin is a clay-like substance mainly used in porcelain, paper and cardboard, paint, and make-up, but it has hundreds of uses.

According to Suvo, the kaolin around Ballarat is "world-class", clean enough to be used for pharmaceuticals, and Pittong is the only wet kaolin mine and processing plant in Australia.

In a statement to shareholders, the company said a major processing upgrade had been completed, and new customers are being sought.

Executive chair Henk Ludik said in a statement the expansion was a "major milestone for the company", noting as well as reducing operating costs, it will also bring a massive return on investment.

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"The management and operations team at Pittong have done a tremendous job to deliver the upgrade and optimisation project on budget and ahead of schedule, with the previous anticipated completion date being the end of Q1 2023," he said.

"This increase in production capacity allows Suvo to more than double production at its flagship Pittong operating kaolin plant.

"Pittong is the only producer of hydrous kaolin in Australia. This gives Suvo great confidence in unlocking value from traditional and new emerging kaolin markets."

Last year, it was announced Suvo will also aim to revitalise former mines in Trawalla and Lal Lal with revegetation projects.

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