Pilbara Minerals’ P1000 expansion: design and throughput notes for mine engineers
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

First reported on Australian Mining
30 Second Briefing
Pilbara Minerals is ramping up its P1000 expansion at the Pilgangoora lithium operation, targeting 1Mtpa spodumene concentrate capacity from the current P680 base while integrating a six‑megawatt solar farm into site power. Chief executive Dale Henderson details staged debottlenecking of crushing and processing circuits and incremental upgrades to tailings and water management to support higher throughput. For engineers, the project signals continued demand for pit development, haul road upgrades and process plant optimisation in the Pilbara hard‑rock lithium sector.
Technical Brief
- PV installation is configured to offset daytime process plant loads rather than fully displace gas/diesel generation.
- Integration requires real‑time power management to maintain stable supply during variable irradiation and cloud events.
Our Take
PLS’ Pilgangoora operation in Western Australia already features in several recent items in our database tied to lithium expansion (such as the P680 project), so the P1000 project signals a continued push to scale capacity rather than a one-off debottlenecking exercise.
The appointment of a new CFO at PLS, highlighted in the December 2025 related pieces, suggests the P1000 project is being advanced alongside a broader corporate reset aimed at funding and managing ‘global growth opportunities’ anchored on Pilgangoora.
Among the 338 Mining stories and 689 tag-matched pieces in our coverage, Pilgangoora stands out as one of the few Australian hard-rock lithium hubs where multiple staged expansions (P680 and now P1000) are being pursued in quick succession, which typically tightens execution risk but can lock in a cost-competitive position if market conditions hold.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
Related Articles
Related Industries & Products
Mining
Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.
CMRR-io
Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.
HYDROGEO-io
Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.
GEODB-io
Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.


