MONTREAL, QUEBEC–(Marketwired – Sept. 6, 2016) – Orbite Technologies Inc. (TSX:ORT)(OTCQX:EORBF) (“Orbite”, or the “Company”) today provided an update on commissioning and start-up of its high purity alumina (“HPA”) plant. Activities continue to progress towards beginning of production in Q3, as communicated previously.
- Commissioning of the decomposer and calciner scrubber and the CMI exhaust gas cleaning and acid recovery systems has been successfully completed.
- Subsequently, heating of the decomposer and calciner ovens commenced over the Labour Day long weekend. Ovens are running with all the required service and support systems, including water cooling, CMI exhaust gas cleaning and acid recovery, steam generation, superheater, compressed air, and ventilation. Accordingly, more than 50% of the plant is now in hot start-up operations.
- Using hot air only from the superheater system, the temperature in the ovens is being increased slowly and to different levels to allow for oven and system verifications.
- Next steps will be to increase refractory temperatures further by the injection of superheated steam, followed by the use of the decomposer and calciner internal electrical heating elements for additional heat input.
- Once refractory temperatures reach 700 °C, the full system will be operationally tested through the introduction of SGA into the decomposer using the feedscrew system which will then be transferred to the calciner and finally to the product cooler using the discharge devices and sealpot systems.
- Crystallisation and digestions circuits are being completed and prepared for commissioning and start-up, scheduled subsequent to the start-up and operational testing of the decomposer and calciner.
- Accordingly, activities are progressing towards the beginning of production in Q3, as planned.
About Orbite
Orbite Technologies Inc. is a Canadian cleantech company whose innovative and proprietary processes are expected to produce alumina and other high-value products, such as rare earth and rare metal oxides, at one of the lowest costs in the industry, and in a sustainable fashion, using feedstocks that include aluminous clay, kaolin, nepheline, bauxite, red mud, fly ash as well as serpentine residues from chrysotile processing sites. Orbite is currently in the process of finalizing its first commercial high-purity alumina (HPA) production plant in Cap-Chat, Québec and has completed the basic engineering for a proposed smelter-grade alumina (SGA) production plant, which would use clay mined from its Grande-Vallée deposit. The Company’s portfolio contains 16 intellectual property families, including 37 patents and 91 pending patent applications in 11 different countries and regions. The first intellectual property family is patented in Canada, USA, Australia, China, Japan and Russia. The Company also operates a state of the art technology development center in Laval, Québec, where its technologies are developed and validated.
Forward-looking statements
Certain information contained in this document may include “forward-looking information”. Without limiting the foregoing, the information and any forward-looking information may include statements regarding projects, costs, objectives and future returns of the Company or hypotheses underlying these items. In this document, words such as “may”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “likely”, “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “plan”, “estimate” and similar words and the negative form thereof are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times at or by which, such future performance will be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information are based on information available at the time and/or the Company management’s good-faith beliefs with respect to future events and are subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. These risks uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, those described in the section of the Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) entitled “Risk and Uncertainties” as filed on March 30, 2016 on SEDAR, including those under the headings “Recent increase in budgeted capital costs will require additional financing and may adversely impact our prospects”, “We will need to raise capital to continue our growth” and “Development Goals and Time Frames“.
The Company does not intend, nor does it undertake, any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements contained in this document to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.
Marc Lakmaaker, External Investor Relations Consultant
416-848-1397
[email protected]
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Scott Anderson, External Media Relations Consultant
416-586-1954
[email protected]
