LONDON and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mkango Resources Ltd. (AIM/TSX-V: MKA) (the "Company" or "Mkango") is pleased to note the press release by the European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA), reproduced below, and looks forward to working with ERMA as we move the Pulawy separation plant towards development:
Securing critical raw materials for the European market is the main goal of the European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA). The current issues with Europe’s dependency on oil and gas clearly show the importance of diversification of value chains across all strategic industries for the production of green energy.
ERMA is pleased to announce that it will support Mkango Resources Ltd. (AIM/TSX-V: MKA) with securing financing for the development of a rare earth separation plant to be located in Puławy, Poland. This plant will be supplied with rare earth carbonate originating from Mkango’s Songwe Hill primary deposit of rare earth elements in Malawi, Africa. The plant will also be able to process other materials supplied by third-party providers thus acting as a future European Hub for rare earth elements separation.
The Puławy project will aid the creation of a secure supply chain option for neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium for the European Union. All these rare earth elements are critical in the production of electric vehicles, wind turbines and other clean energy applications that are key to Europe’s Green Agenda.
Dr Massimo Gasparon, ERMA Director, commented: “It is the primary role of ERMA to secure raw materials and raw material supply chains for Europe to support industrial ecosystems and create jobs within the European Union. We cannot do this alone which is why diversifying is so key – this is a multi-national project where we have a Canadian partner, Mkango Resources, accessing critical raw materials in Malawi, Africa, processing them in a plant in Poland, all for the benefit of the European economy. The Puławy project is one of the first ERMA projects to get the greenlight to provide critical raw materials needed to fulfill European goals in the green transition while diversifying the supply chain in the long term.”
William Dawes, CEO of Mkango Resources, commented: “We look forward to supporting our partners in Europe with creating a more diverse raw materials value chain. ERMA’s support has been and continues to be important for us, and we are happy to be part of its vast network of leading companies in the raw materials sector. ERMA’s underlying principles are a great fit with the Mkango’s vision and philosophy for the Puławy separation plant and Songwe Hill deposit in Malawi.”
ERMA fully supports Mkango’s corporate strategy to develop new sustainable primary and secondary sources. Their integrated ‘mine, refine, recycle’ strategy differentiates Mkango from its peers, uniquely positioning the company in the rare earths sector. This week, Mkango announced that the final stage of hydrometallurgical piloting at ANSTO for Mkango’s Songwe Hill Rare Earths Project (“Songwe”) in Malawi has successfully produced rare earth carbonate grading 55% total rare earth oxides (“TREO”) equivalent, enriched in neodymium and praseodymium (“Nd / Pr”) oxides, which together make up 31% of the TREO within the rare earth carbonate product (i.e., Nd / Pr oxides / TREO = 31%). Neodymium and praseodymium are key components of permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and many electronic devices and prices for Nd / Pr oxides have risen by 85% and 135% respectively over the last 12 months.
This cooperation and support with securing financing is one of the first projects resulting from ERMA’s strategic initiatives securing rare earth elements for European industry. A first action plan entitled “Rare Earth Magnets and Motors: A European Call for Action” was issued in September 2021. This report outlines current and projected European demand for Rare Earth Elements and steps which should be taken to secure their supply. The Puławy project is addressing several critical issues highlighted in the report.
About European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA)
Metals, minerals, and advanced materials are the key enablers for a globally competitive, green, and digital Europe. The European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA) contributes to ensure a reliable, secure, and sustainable access to raw materials. ERMA’s vision is to secure access to critical and strategic raw materials, advanced materials, and processing know-how for EU Industrial Ecosystems. The alliance brings together all relevant stakeholders, including industrial actors along the value chain, Member States and regions, trade unions, civil society, research and technology organizations, investors, and NGOs. ERMA is managed by EIT RawMaterials, a Knowledge and Innovation Community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of European Union.
About Mkango ResourcesLimited
Mkango Resources Ltd. (TSX-V/AIM: MKA) is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company listed on the UK and Canadian stock exchanges. The company is developing the Songwe Hill rare earths project in Malawi, with a Feasibility Study nearing completion, and the Pulawy rare earths separation project in Poland, working with Grupa Azoty PULAWY, Poland's leading chemical company and the second largest manufacturer of nitrogen and compound fertilizers in the European Union. Through its 42% strategic interest in HyProMag, Mkango is also developing rare earth magnet recycling projects in the UK and Germany.
This news release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of that term under applicable securities laws) with respect to Mkango, its business, HyProMag, the Separation Plant and Songwe. Generally, forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects” or “is expected to”, “scheduled”, “estimates” “intends”, “anticipates”, “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results “can”, “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “might” or “will”, occur or be achieved, or the negative connotations thereof. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur, which may cause actual performance and results in future periods to differ materially from any estimates or projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, without limiting the foregoing, governmental action relating to COVID-19, COVID-19 and other market effects on global demand and pricing for the metals and associated downstream products for which Mkango is exploring, researching and developing, factors relating the development of the Separation Plant, including the outcome and timing of the completion of the feasibility studies, cost overruns, complexities in building and operating the Separation Plant, changes in economics and government regulation, the positive results of a feasibility study on Songwe Hill and delays in obtaining financing or governmental approvals for, and the impact of environmental and other regulations relating to, Songwe Hill and the Separation Plant. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.
For more information on ERMA, please contact: EIT RawMaterials Vanessa Lorenz, Head of Communications, Vanessa.lorenz@eitrawmaterials.eu
For further information on Mkango, please contact: Mkango Resources Limited
BlytheRay Financial Public Relations Tim Blythe UK: +44 207 138 3204
SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker Jeff Keating, Caroline Rowe UK: +44 20 3470 0470
Alternative Resource Capital Joint Broker Alex Wood, Keith Dowsing UK: +44 20 7186 9004/5
The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any equity or other securities of the Company in the United States. The securities of the Company will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") and may not be offered or sold within the United States to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act.
