Cobalt Blue Holdings Limited announced BHCP Pilot Plant Update. Following on from the successful production of MHP, the plant has now successfully produced first cobalt sulphate samples. The MHP to cobalt sulphate refinery is aiming to produce high-purity cobalt sulphate heptahydrate crystals, suitable for direct use as a raw material into the cathode precursor industry. Globally in 2020, approximately 25% of cobalt production was refined into cobalt sulphate for use in the production of electrical vehicle batteries. This is expected to grow to > 50% of global cobalt production by the end of 2025. Cobalt sulphate heptahydrate currently commands a premium of 10-20% over MHP. Cobalt Blue Holdings Limited (COB) is aiming to deliver cobalt sulphate samples to partners in November. This will mark the formal end of Pilot Plant operations. Planning and procurement are well underway for the Demonstration Plant, with supporting bulk sample extraction and field work planned across the summer months. COB has received positive feedback from MHP samples dispatched to sample partners over third quarter of 2021. A number of these are now shortlisted for large sample batches (up to 100 kg) to be supplied from the Demonstration Plant activities in 2022. These large samples are required for acceptance testing and production of laboratory scale batteries. COB expects to update the market with an overall commercial cobalt sulphate specification in due course. Product specifications will be discussed with cobalt sample partners in the first instance and COB expects iterative development of specifications to match individual battery maker needs precisely.