The stars are aligning for Hawsons Iron as the company readies its bankable feasibility study (BFS) for release in December 2022.
The Hawsons Iron project in New South Wales is gaining global attention for its Hawsons Supergrade product which, at 70 per cent iron (Fe), is poised to be one of the highest-grade Fe products on the seaborne market.
Steelmakers have an obligation to reduce their emissions and can only do so if their steel is derived from a high-grade Fe product.
Hawsons Iron has the opportunity to be a key partner to a decarbonising world and has several objectives to tick off heading into the second half of 2022 and beyond.
Specialist consultants JukesTodd (JT) and SLR Consulting (SLR) have been appointed to provide key BFS inputs.
As integrated delivery partner, JT will offer commercial and technical advisory for Hawsons Iron leading into the study. SLR will lead the project’s environmental approvals in NSW and South Australia as environmental impact statement (EIS) consultant.
New Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs), which detail specific EIS matters, have been issued and are being addressed.
Hawsons Iron has commenced planning for the mine’s remaining environmental studies, with the majority of these expected to be completed by October 2022.
In February, the company expanded its BFS to include an option with a potential production capacity of 20 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa), an extra 10Mtpa from the project’s 2017 prefeasibility study.
The option will explore a direct-to-port underground slurry pipeline and port opportunities within the eastern Spencer Gulf of SA, with the potential to further improve the project’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials.
Hawsons Iron will complete transport corridor studies encompassing the port and pipeline pathways in the lead up to the BFS.
The company will also complete analysis of drilling results to date to provide improved confidence of indicated, inferred and measured resources to progress mine design. This will underpin an updated mineral resource estimate to be released in the second quarter of 2022.
Hawsons Iron is also prioritising preliminary discussions with potential offtake partners and project financiers, including financial institutions, steel mills and commodity trading houses, to further solidify the project ahead of the BFS.