Global technology and engineering company, ABB, has offered HiTec Energy a lease proposal for the supply and installation of electrical controls, instrumentation, power generation and motors for its 40,000tpa Electrofuel plant at Port Hedland in Western Australia.
The project will produce electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD), used in the manufacture of alkaline batteries.
The ABB proposal is for a lease facility financed over a 5-7 year term including an additional equipment maintenance contract.
HiTec Energy is expecting further such agreements with major suppliers. It says finance for the $209m project may include a series of Build-Own-Operate, Build-Own-Operate-Transfer or lease opportunities, as well as debt/equity arrangements.
Other packages involved in construction at Port Hedland include: leach, purify and process EMD (estimated $66m); cellhouse including titanium anodes ($72m); process feeds including manganese and sulphur ($7m); services including steam, water, SO(2), oxygen etc ($15m); and pre-production and EPCM ($26m).