Stornoway Diamond Corporation has announced that the formal commissioning of the Renard Project diamond process plant has begun eight weeks ahead of the re-baselined construction schedule. Following the installation and testing of all principal plant equipment and control systems, the hand-over from Stornoway’s construction management team to the plant operating staff has been completed, the Company added.

The commissioning of the process plant will take several weeks and involves the operation of the plant’s crushers, vibrating screens, conveyors, pumps, diamond recovery circuits, and processed kimberlite management systems first with water (‘wet commissioning’) and then ore.

Matt Manson, President and CEO, commented: “The formal commencement of plant commissioning is a major milestone for the Renard Project and our construction management team. Our re-baselined construction schedule was already a five month improvement on the execution plan established in July 2014. As many construction staff and contractors now demobilize from the project site, we take this opportunity to congratulate them on a mining project that has been built with efficiency, professionalism and quality throughout.”