Stornoway Begins Construction of Renard Diamond Plant

(IDEX Online News) – Stornoway Diamond Corporation has begun the principal concrete pour at the Renard Diamond Project process plant. The company said construction of the 2.2 million ton per annum diamond plant took place on schedule, despite below-average winter temperatures at the project site.

Specialized concrete work for the plant's foundations is expected to continue through the spring and early summer before the erection of structural steel begins in June.

The building is scheduled to be completed and heated by the fourth quarter of the year to allow the installation of temperature sensitive crushing and recovery circuits through the first half of 2016.

The plant is scheduled to be energized in the second half of 2016 with wet commissioning beginning in the fourth quarter of that year.

A 10 month commissioning ramp-up is planned, with a view to commercial production being achieved in the second quarter of 2017 and full production by the summer of 2017.

As of March 31, plant engineering work was 49-percent complete with procurement on major items well advanced.

Construction progress at the plant can be followed via a webcam on Stornoway’s website www.stornowaydiamonds.com.