Bulk earthworks for the construction of the accommodation village kicked off ahead of the start of full construction early next year and the start of mining in the June quarter.

“We have a fantastic and exciting project,” Brinsden told the company’s packed annual general meeting in Perth this morning.

“One that is so very fit for the time.”

As he reflected on the biggest year yet for Pilbara, Brinsden paid tribute to the foresight of founding directors Neil Biddle and John Young.

“They were spending money on the ground at Pilgangoora when it wasn’t sexy to do so,” he said.

Pilbara is close to awarding the tender for the processing plant and is advancing the financing process, mainly with international banks, as well as some non-traditional financiers.

“There are banks crawling all over our feasibility study,” Brinsden said.

He said the company hoped to finalise financing by the end of January, with all options being considered.

Tantalum offtake talks were also advancing.

Brinsden said lithium demand and spodumene prices should continue to rise as the price of lithium-ion batteries falls.

“The lithium-ion battery is ready for broad-scale adoption,” he said.

“The world is hungry for [lithium] and China is gagging for it.”

The company will continue its studies into doubling of the throughput rate to 4 million tonnes per annum, while the 128.6Mt resource continues to grow.

“At 4Mtpa, our take is that Pilgangoora would be the lowest cost hard rock spodumene mine in the world – including Greenbushes,” Brinsden said.

Tony Kiernan addressed his first AGM as chairman of Pilbara and said it was Brinsden’s appointment as MD that gave him the confidence to join the company.

“I firmly believe the journey is just beginning,” he said.

Shares in Pilbara gained 1.5c to 54c.