Euro Manganese (ASX:EMN) has proven the reliability of its demonstration plant in the early-stages with the facility running for five straight 24-hour days without stoppage and producing more end-product than expected.

The company’s demo plant is for the production of high-purity electrolytic manganese metal (HPEEM), which came in at 172kg of product – higher than estimates of 132kg.

Notably: according to EMN, it’s got the only new high-purity manganese plant outside of China.

That plant includes in its flowsheet six main process stages that could be upscaled at a future date for higher volumes. Included on-site are processes for ore to slurry preparation, beneficiation using magnetic separation, concentrate purification and magnesium removal.

That the company successfully maintained a 5-day operation – and produced more HPEEM than expected – now allows the company to draw-down the next batch of funds from a loan from an entity called Orion, a deal that goes back to November.

“The successful completion of 120 hours of continuous operations while exceeding target production by 30% is another important technical milestone,” EMN CEO Dr. Matthew James said.

“This key step enhances our technological maturity.

“With the only new high- purity manganese project outside China to have a fully operational Demonstration Plant, the Chvaletice Project and Euro Manganese are positioned to benefit significantly from growing demand.”

Where that demand is set to come from?: battery tech producers pivoting to manganese-based technology over lithium-ion.

EMN last traded at 4.8cps.

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