Cyprium Metals has approved restarting cathode operations at the Nifty Copper Complex in Western Australia.
Approval by the the company’s board of directors paves the way for significant expenditures to keep the project on track for first copper cathode production by mid-2026.
The restart will focus on re-leaching existing heap leach pads and refurbishing the solvent extraction electrowinning (SXEW) plant to support an initial production of at least 6,000 tonnes per annum.
“Following our transformative equity raise that closed in October, Cyprium has been working at full speed with our partner Macmahon to quickly re-establish cathode production,” Cyprium Metals executive chair Matt Fifield said.
“The recent restructuring of our senior debt facility and final administrative approval have allowed the board to fully authorise activities necessary to support the restart, including ordering of long lead-time items that impact project schedule.
“As a brownfield restart, some of our great advantages are sunk capital and time. Establishing initial cathode production from our above-ground heap leach resources is a low-risk way to produce meaningful cash flow.”
The restart also is strategically important for the company as it enables accelerated future growth from open pit and regional ore sources.
The restart program will be implemented in four key phases: re-establishing heap leach support infrastructure; commissioning leaching activities; refurbishing the SXEW plant; and finalising site-wide support infrastructure, training, and operational readiness.
Site work through the second half of 2025 has already materially advanced these activities, including early works and long-lead item procurement.
Cyprium sees this cathode restart as a first phase in transitioning from developer to producer, creating a new cash flow stream while laying the groundwork for further development.
Future phases include reactivating the Nifty open pit to access shallow oxide and deeper sulphide ore, with oxide material processed through the refurbished SXEW plant and sulphide ore via the Nifty concentrator.
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