Clean TeQ Water’s ATA® and MBIX adopted in Aura Energy’s Tiris Uranium BFS
Clean TeQ Water (ASX: CNQ) has announced that its ATA® dewatering system and MBIX moving-bed ion exchange have been adopted in the processing flowsheet of the Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) for Aura Energy’s Tiris Uranium Project in Mauritania. Aura Energy Limited (ASX: AEE, AIM: AURA) released the BFS on 16 October 2026.
The two technologies replace the pressure filtration and fixed-bed ion exchange carried in earlier studies. Adoption in a bankable study is described by the company as an important step for its technology platform.
One guardrail applies. Clean TeQ Water has been contracted to deliver its scope of the pilot programme only, and no binding arrangements are in place at this stage for the supply or licensing of the technologies for the project.
All Tiris and BFS information in this article is drawn from Aura’s 16 October 2026 announcement, titled Bankable Feasibility Study confirms Tiris as a low-cost, near-term uranium producer. Clean TeQ Water has not independently verified that information.
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ATA® performance in the BFS
Why ATA® was selected
The BFS reports that ATA® was the only post-leach dewatering option tested that was shown to be robust across the full range of Tiris ore variability. It achieved separation and washing in a single step.
Key BFS figures for ATA® include:
- Up to 97.8% of soluble uranium recovered in bench-scale counter-current wash tests
- Residue reporting at approximately 67% solids, rising to 78 to 79% with vibration-assisted dewatering
- Three belt filters operating in parallel in the BFS design
- Four counter-current wash stages, using diluted ion exchange barren liquor
- No fresh water used for washing
The residue is suitable for return to mined-out pits. That points to a simpler process, with a stackable residue rather than a tailings dam.
Philip Mitchell, Executive Chair, Aura Energy
“…ATA® was the only dewatering option we tested that held up across the full range of our ore…”
ATA® vs earlier flowsheet
The table below compares the earlier study assumptions with the BFS flowsheet, using only the details stated in the announcement.
| Step | Earlier studies | BFS flowsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Dewatering | Pressure filtration | ATA® on standard horizontal vacuum belt filters |
| Ion exchange | Fixed-bed ion exchange | MBIX moving-bed ion exchange |
| Filtration equipment (per CEO Peter Voigt) | Thirteen filter presses | **Three** belt filters |
What are ATA® and MBIX?
ATA® (Activator-Tether-Anchor) is a dewatering system for clay-rich slurries and tailings. Dual polymer conditioning binds fine clay to coarse sand, forming a granular, free-draining structure that is filtered and washed on standard horizontal vacuum belt filters. The company states it delivers the cake solids and stack stability normally associated with high-cost pressure filtration, at materially lower capital and operating cost, with no need for a tailings dam.
MBIX moves resin continuously from column to column against the flow of solution. Compared with the fixed-bed ion exchange assumed in earlier studies, the announcement states MBIX results in:
- Improved solids tolerance
- Better resin utilisation
- Lower reagent and water consumption
- A more concentrated uranium solution for downstream precipitation
MBIX already has a commercial uranium reference in the Heathgate uranium plant, where performance testing exceeded all contracted specifications and gave the technology a working installation to point to.
Pilot plant and path to FID
Aura’s Tiris Optimised Pilot Plant at Bir Moghrein replicates the full commercial flowsheet. It is due to operate during November and December 2026, processing more than 80 tonnes of ore across the main ore types.
Clean TeQ Water’s contracted scope comprises supply of the ATA® and MBIX pilot units and technical support during operation. Results will feed into detailed design and contribute to Aura’s final investment decision (FID), targeted for December 2026.
- 16 October 2026: BFS released
- November to December 2026: Pilot plant operation
- December 2026: FID targeted
Peter Voigt, Chief Executive Officer, Clean TeQ Water
“Having both ATA® and MBIX adopted in a bankable study, in the same year our first ATA® plant was contracted at Rasp, is exactly the path we set out to build, and we look forward to proving them on Tiris ore at Bir Moghrein next month.”
Significance for Clean TeQ Water
If adopted, Tiris would be the company’s second commercial-scale ATA® deployment. The first is a 750,000 t/y ATA® tailings dewatering plant for the Rasp mine at Broken Hill, New South Wales, under a design and construct contract awarded in May 2026. It is now in fabrication and moving into construction and installation.
Rasp is supported by a long-term polymer supply and technology licence agreement, the company’s first recurring revenue stream from ATA®.
For readers wanting to see how ATA® is monetised once a plant is running, our full explainer on the Rasp polymer supply agreement sets out the term structure, extension options and volume-linked licence fees behind the company’s first recurring ATA® revenue.
Commercial supply or licensing at Tiris remains unconfirmed. Other than the pilot programme and engineering scope, there are no binding commercial arrangements between Clean TeQ Water and Aura in respect of the project, and any outcome depends on Aura’s FID and future agreements.
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