Lion One chooses rapid-deploy evaporator to address excess mill water

Lion One Metals (TSXV: LIO; US-OTCQX: LOMLF) approved a US$1.14 million investment to purchase and install an evaporator system at its Tuvatu Alkaline gold project in Fiji, the company said Thursday. The system is intended to manage excess process water in the mine’s tailings storage facility (TSF) and is expected to be operational by late April or early May 2026.

“This investment permanently resolves our water management requirements while delivering an excellent environmental outcome. The evaporator is a far more economical and timely solution than the alternatives, and importantly, it removes regulatory risk entirely. We inherited a situation that required decisive action, and this is exactly that," Campbell Olsen, CEO of the company, said.

The company said it evaluated water-management options, including reverse osmosis and enhanced evaporation technologies, and selected the evaporator after detailed engineering and commercial assessments. Lion One cited the system’s ability to avoid discharging process water to the Sabeto River, a shorter deployment timeline and lower comparative costs as key factors in the decision.

Lion One plans to include an optional acoustic silencer, priced at about US$190,000, to allow for 24-hour operation if required. The firm said the total capital commitment covers the evaporator, a dedicated generator set and ancillary equipment.

Company documents state the mine’s treatment plant can reduce copper to acceptable levels but that other parameters such as total dissolved solids (TDS) remain above thresholds for river discharge. During heavy rainfall, excess treated water is currently pumped to the TSF, where there is no engineered mechanism other than natural evaporation to remove it.

Lion One described the evaporator as a permanent infrastructure measure intended to maintain safe TSF operating levels and reduce regulatory and timeline risks associated with alternatives, including river discharge permits and rental solutions.

More information is posted at www.LionOneMetals.com