Rapport d'activités trimestriel
Bonnet de soin. Prop. Dl-,01
€23.20
19:59 22/03/17
24 Avril 2024
Néométaux Ltée
(« Neometals » ou « la Société »)
Rapport d'activités trimestriel
Pour le trimestre clos le 31 mars 2024
Avantages
Entreprises
· Cash balance of A$14 million, investments, receivables and inventories of A$17.3 million and no debt.
OPÉRATIONS
Lithium-ion Battery Recycling (50% NMT via Primobius GmbH, an incorporated JV with SMS group GmbH)
· Final purchase order (€18.8M) received from Mercedes-Benz for the refinery "Moyeu" section of the 2,500tpa integrated recycling plant being built by Primobius in Kuppenheim, Germany;
· Mercedes-Benz plant designed to industrially validate our technology and enable Primobius to offer its first commercial scale (~20,000tpa) plant supply agreement to a subsidiary of Stelco Inc by 30 June 2025 under existing technology licensing agreement; and
· Primobius advanced discussions for plant supply and licensing with participants across the entire EV battery supply chain, fourth national phase patent granted, remaining thirteen being prosecuted to grant.
PRE-COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES
Lithium Chemicals (70% NMT, 30% Mineral Resources Ltd via Reed Advanced Materials Pty Ltd ("RAM")
· RAM finalising preparations for commencing final stages of pilot plant test work program following cessation of discussions with Lifthium Energy SA in relation to co-funding commercialisation; and
· RAM advanced evaluation of potential brine feedstocks from lithium producers and developers as part of its technology licensing business model.
Vanadium Recovery (100% NMT via Avanti Materials Ltd)
· Advanced discussions with potential licencees of the technology following decision not to construct Vanadium Recovery Project in Finland. Vanadium price remains down ~50% year-on-year.
RECHERCHE ET DÉVELOPPEMENT
· Commenced evaluating third-party technology for recovering precious metals from industrial waste streams in the US.
UPSTREAM MINERAL PROJECTS
Barrambie Titane et Vanadium ("Barrambie") (100 % NMT)
· Tenement maintenance activities in parallel with preparations for asset divestment.
Spargos Lithium and Nickel Project (100% NMT)
· Review concludes low potential for discovery of lithium bearing pegmatites. Preparation for asset divestment.
Découvrir l'entreprise
Neometals facilitates sustainable critical material supply chains and reduces the environmental burden of traditional mining in the global transition to a circular economy.
The Company is commercialising a portfolio of sustainable processing solutions that recycle and recover critical materials from high-value waste streams.
Neometals' core focus is on the commercialisation of its patented, Lithium-ion Battery ("LiB") Recycling technology (50% NMT), under a plant supply and technology licensing business model. Primobius GmbH is the 50:50 incorporated JV with 150-year-old German plant builder, SMS group GmbH, that is commercialising the technology. Primobius is building a 2,500tpa recycling plant for Mercedes-Benz under a long-term Cooperation Agreement. It also operates its own LiB disposal service in Germany and plans to offer its first commercial 21,000tpa plant to North American licensee, Stelco, in JunQ 2025.
Neometals is also developing two advanced battery materials technologies for commercialisation under low-risk, low-capex technology licensing business models:
· Lithium Chemicals (70% NMT) - Patented ELi™ electrolysis process, co-owned 30% by Mineral Resources Ltd, to produce battery quality lithium hydroxide from brine and/or hard-rock feedstocks at lowest quartile operating costs. Pilot scale test work and Engineering Cost Study update planned for completion in DecQ 2024; and
· Vanadium Recovery (100% NMT) - Patent pending hydrometallurgical process to produce high-purity vanadium pentoxide from steelmaking by-product ("Slag") at lowest-quartile operating cost and carbon footprint.
Figure 1 - Carte de localisation des projets de Neometals ainsi que les développements des partenaires.
OPÉRATIONS
Recyclage des batteries lithium-ion (Intellectual Property via ACN 630 589 507 Pty Ltd - NMT 50%, SMS 50%) (Plant construction via Primobius GmbH, NMT 50% SMS group GmbH 50%) |
Primobius GmbH ("Primobius") is the incorporated joint venture established in 2020 to commercialise Neometals lithium-ion battery ("LiB") technologie de recyclage ("Technologie de recyclage LiB"). Primobius was granted an exclusive licence from Neometals' LiB Recycling Technology holding company, ACN 630 589 507 Pty Ltd ("NCA 630"), to supply LiB recycling plants incorporating the patented flowsheet. Primobius will pay royalties to ACN 630 where it operates as principal and will also pass through royalties from plant supply and technology licensing arrangements. ACN 630 is the ultimate beneficiary of 5 third party technology licences issued to date. The structure is designed to flow technology royalties and plant supply margins separately to its co-owners.
Figure 2 - Technology royalty and plant supply margins flow chart
Intellectual Property and Status
The LiB Recycling Technology recovers materials contained in LiB production scrap and end-of-life cells that might otherwise be disposed of in land fill. Current LiB recycling processes predominantly rely on high carbon emission pyrometallurgical processes. Primobius' two stage process recovers nickel, cobalt, lithium and manganese battery materials (and physically recovers metals and plastics) into saleable products that can be reused in the LiB supply chain. The LiB Recycling Technology prioritises maximum safety, environmental sustainability, and product recoveries, to support the circular economy and decarbonisation.
Figure 3 - Schéma de traitement de haut niveau montrant le mouvement des matériaux issus du déchiquetage et de l'enrichissement
(« Spoke ») jusqu'aux étapes de raffinage (« Hub ») pour la technologie de recyclage LiB.
During the quarter, ACN630 was granted an additional national phase patent in Japan. Four patents have now been granted with thirteen other national phase patents at various stages of prosecution globally.
Statut de commercialisation
Le modèle commercial actuel de Primobius envisage les sources de revenus suivantes :
1. Gate fees and product sales from its LiB Disposal Operation in Hilchenbach;
2. Mechanical equipment and plant supply agreements (Mercedes-Benz Plant); and
3. Royalties from sale of products from future commercial plant supply agreements (potential Stelco Inc Plant).
Opération d'élimination de Hilchenbach
La section Spoke de l'usine de démonstration à Hilchenbach en Allemagne ("Hilchenbach a parlé") is providing commercial LiB disposal services and the hydrometallurgical refinery 'Hub' operates as a demonstration plant for discrete customer trials and research and development.
The Hilchenbach Spoke produces intermediate mixed nickel/cobalt product ("Messe noire"). Le LiB typique contient environ 48 % de masse noire que Primobius récupère à des niveaux élevés et vend à un certain nombre d'acheteurs mondiaux au comptant avec des prix fixés en fonction de la teneur en nickel et en cobalt.
Fourniture d'équipements mécaniques et d'installations
Primobius has a Cooperation Agreement with Mercedes-Benz ("Mercedes") ("Coopération Mercedes") pour l'ingénierie, la fourniture d'équipements et l'installation d'une usine de recyclage en boucle fermée entièrement intégrée de 2,500 XNUMX tpa ("Usine pilote Mercedes"). The Mercedes Cooperation also outlines a 5-year research program, collaboration and development of an industrial-scale solution for Mercedes .
During the quarter, Primobius continued the construction and commissioning activities at the Mercedes Pilot Plant. Primobius was awarded a purchase order (value ~ €18.8M (~ A$30.8M)) from Mercedes for the supply of a hydrometallurgical refining Hub for installation at its Kuppenheim Pilot Plant site in Germany. The purchase order covers fabrication, installation and commissioning of the Hub which will refine intermediate products from the 2,500tpa shredding 'Spoke' (Spoke purchase order was awarded in August 2023).
Figure 4 - Mercedes-Benz LiB Recycling Buidling, Kuppenheim Germany | Figure 5 - Part of the Integrated LiB Plant installed by Primobius |
Licence de technologie
· Technology licensing and joint venture option agreements are in place with a subsidiary of Stelco Inc. ("Stelco") ("Ententes Stelco"). Stelco plans to secure large volumes of end-of-life vehicles in North America for scrap steel and LiB recycling, with offer of maiden 21,000tpa integrated plant ("Rayon Stelco" suivi par "Centre Stelco") attendu avant le 30 juin 2025 .
· Trois licences exclusives ont été délivrées pour la Scandinavie, les Balkans et l'Italie à des titulaires de licence tiers et une licence non exclusive au Royaume-Uni. Neometals est le plus grand actionnaire individuel des titulaires de licence et ACN630 a le droit de recevoir une redevance de 10 % sur les revenus bruts des licences technologiques.
Entreprises
· Continued recruitment activities to expand the Primobius technical, operational, commercial and management teams in line with corporate milestones associated with offering mechanical plant and equipment package supply contracts. In particular, Primobius is expanding human capital in line with its commitments under the Mercedes Cooperation where Primobius will support Mercedes with commissioning, technical training, on site engineering support, permitting and associated regulatory applications.
PRE-COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES
| Produits chimiques au lithium
|
RAM is the incorporated joint venture to commercialise its proprietary process (ELi™ Processing Technology ("ELi™")) which can produce lithium hydroxide and carbonate from lithium chloride solutions en utilisant electrolysis. RAM has successfully converted lithium chloride solutions from both natural spodumene and brine feedstocks into battery quality lithium hydroxide at semi-pilot scale. ELi™ has the flexibility to produce lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate at a significantly lower operating cost and carbon footprint compared to conventional production processes. ELi's key economic advantage lies in the potential to replace costly, imported bulk chemical reagents with electricity and low-cost internally generated reagents.
Figure 6 - Schematic showing a comparison of the conventional flowsheet for the production of lithium hydroxide from brines with the patented Eli™ process.
Statut de propriété intellectuelle
During the quarter RAM was granted an additional national phase patent in the USA. RAM now holds 20 granted patents in the hard rock and brine producing countries and has a further 11 pending national phase patents at various stages of prosecution globally.
Statut de commercialisation
During the quarter, Neometals advised that RAM has ceased discussions with Lifthium Energy SA ("Lifthium"), sister company to leading Portuguese chlor-alkali producer, Bondalti Chemicals SA ("Bondalti"), in relation to co-funding the final stage of pilot test work ("Pilote") and constructing a commercial demonstration plant.
RAM and Bondalti completed an Engineering Cost Study ("ECS") for a 25,000tpa lithium hydroxide monohydrate merchant refinery in Portugal and have been advancing a phased Pilot test work program in Canada. The ECS confirmed the technical feasibility of the process to purify and convert lithium chloride to lithium hydroxide with potential lowest-quartile operating costs and capital cost intensity. Additionally, the first stage of the Pilot activities successfully purified lithium chloride from an existing South American operation to the specification required for conversion by electrolysis using ELi™.
Despite the compelling operating / capital cost metrics and successful purification Pilot activities, RAM and Lifthium were unable to agree terms for further joint evaluation activities and licensing arrangements. RAM is fully funded to complete the final stage of Pilot test work and will continue to test third-party brines for potential partners under a low-capex, low-risk technology licensing business model to generate future royalty income.
Technique
· Having successfully completed the first 'purification' Pilot stage of activities, RAM has been preparing for stages two ('electrolysis') and three ("crystallisation') in what is a three-part test work campaign. The electrolysis trials are now ready to commence with crystallisation activities to follow using the output from electrolysis.
Impression
· Commercial discussions progressed with potential partners under a low-capex, low-risk technology licensing business model to generate future royalty income.
Récupération de vanadium Vanadium Recovery Project 1 via Recycling Industries Scandinavia AB ("RISAB") - 77% NMT
|
Neometals has developed a sustainable, proprietary vanadium recovery process ("Technologie VRP") to produce vanadium products for battery and aerospace alloying applications from stockpiles of vanadium-bearing steel making by-product. The unique selling points of the VRP Technology are:
· Un schéma de traitement utilisant des équipements conventionnels à pression atmosphérique, à températures douces et avec des matériaux de construction non exotiques ; et
· Coûts d’exploitation potentiels du quartile le plus bas and carbon-footprint from processing steelmaking slag by-product eliminating the cost, risks and environmental impact of mined upstream feedstocks.
Statut de propriété intellectuelle
Neometals' Vanadium Recovery IP holding company, Avanti Materials Ltd, has eighteen pending national phase patents for the VRP Technology across two patent families with two at examination stage.
Statut de commercialisation
Vanadium Recovery Project 1 ("VRP1") - Finland
RISAB in an incorporated joint venture which evaluated the feasibility of recovering high-purity vanadium pentoxide ("V2O5") à partir d'un sous-produit d'acier au vanadium de haute qualité ("Scories") in Scandinavia. In March 2023, Neometals announced results of a feasibility study that confirmed le potentiel de coûts d’exploitation du quartile le plus bas dans un opération chimique de vanadium de haute pureté avec une empreinte carbone faible à négative4.
Despite having secured a conditional binding Slag feedstock supply agreement with steelmaker SSAB, take-or-pay offtake with Glencore International AG and debt approved by the EIB, the vanadium price collapsed more than 50% in 2023 and equity financing could not be secured within the required timelines. Accordingly, Neometals announced during the DecQ 2023 that it had advised its partner in the VRP1 project that it could not commit to a positive final investment decision.
During the quarter, Neometals assisted RISAB to explore value realisation options and advanced discussions with potential licencees of the VRP Technology. Subsequent to the end of the quarter, SSAB formally terminated the Slag feedstock supply agreement and accordingly, all VRP1 project activities will cease and RISAB will become dormant.
RECHERCHE ET DÉVELOPPEMENT
Precious Metals Recovery
In keeping with Neometals focus on commercialising sustainable processing solutions that recycle and recover critical materials from high-value waste streams, it has commenced evaluating a third-party technology to recover previous metals from industrial waste streams.
UPSTREAM MINING PROJECTS
| Projet Titane/Vanadium de Barrambie |
Barrambie, located approximately 80km north-west of Sandstone in Western Australia ("WA"), is one of the largest vanadiferous-titanomagnetite ("VTM") Ressources minérales dans le monde (280.1 Mt à 9.18 % de TiO2 et 0.44 % V2O5), contenant la deuxième ressource minérale de titane de roche dure de la plus haute teneur au monde (53.6 Mt à 21.17 % TiO2 et 0.63 % V2O5) et des ressources en vanadium à haute teneur (64.9 Mt à 0.82 % V2O5 et 16.9 % de TiO2) sous-ensembles (appelés respectivement bandes orientale et centrale) basés sur la dernière estimation des ressources minérales de Neometals 2018 . The Mineral Resource is secured under a granted mining lease.
Neometals secured environmental approval in 2012 to mine and construct a 3.2 Mtpa processing plant (Ministerial Statement 911), extended the timeframe for implementation in 2019 (Ministerial Statement 1119) and is currently in the process of securing a further extension of the timeframe for project implementation. The project also has a granted mining proposal to extract approximately 1.2Mtpa of mineralisation.
Sommaire de l'activité
Au cours du trimestre, les activités suivantes ont été entreprises :
Technique
· Tenement maintenance to keep Barrambie in 'good standing'; and
· Historical data collection and interpretation together with geological model development for gold mineralisation. The Barrambie Greenstone Belt hosts a number of historic gold mines and the town was established upon the discovery of gold by contractors building the rabbit-proof fence in 1905.
Entreprises
Information memorandums and flyers are being prepared for the divestment of the project.
Projet Spargos Lithium |
Le projet Spargos ("Spargos"), located 50 kilometres southwest of Coolgardie in WA, comprises a legacy mineral tenement that was originally acquired for nickel prospectivity. Spargos is located in an area of regional interest for nickel, lithium and rare-earths.
Sommaire de l'activité
Au cours du trimestre, les activités suivantes ont été entreprises :
Technique
· Re-sampling and assaying of pegmatites from historical nickel exploration cores failed to return significantly anomalous results to warrant further exploration; and
· External review concluded low potential for discovery of lithium bearing pegmatites. Given the depressed market conditions for both nickel and lithium, further exploration activities have been placed on hold with the Company now focused on asset divestment opportunities.
Entreprises
· In keeping with Neometals focus on commercialising sustainable processing solutions that recycle and recover critical materials from high-value waste streams, this non-core asset is being prepared for divestment.
CORPORATE
During the quarter Neometals held its annual strategic planning day and concluded to widen its focus to capture critical materials as opposed to battery materials. The existing incorporated joint-ventures holding the operating and pre-commercial technologies will continue to prosecute low-cost, plant supply and/or technology licensing business models.
Neometals is delivering on a significant austerity plan to reduce cash outflows which includes reductions in staffing levels to reflect reduced levels of activity in pre-commercial technologies, reduced directors' fees and a halt on senior management short term incentives. Notably, administration/overheads and exploration expenditure was reduced to approximately $2.6 million compared with $4.3 million in the December 2023 quarter and $6.6 million in the September 2023 quarter.
Neometals is actively looking to rationalise its upstream mineral projects and generate cashflow.
Services
Finances (non auditées)
Cash and term deposits on hand as of 31 March 2024 totalled $14 million, including $0.4 million in restricted use term deposits supporting contractual obligations. The Company has investments totalling $15.3 million, net receivables of $1.3 million and inventories of $0.7 million.
Les paiements aux parties liées pour le trimestre indiqués dans l'annexe 5B de l'ASX publié simultanément à la section 6.1 totalisent 261,625 XNUMX $ et sont composés des jetons de présence et de la pension de retraite.
Capital émis
Le nombre total d'actions émises au 31 mars 2024 était de 622,810,316.
Redivium Ltd (anciennement Hannans Limited) (ASX : RIL) (Redivium) (Recyclage des batteries)
As at 31 March 2024 Neometals held 879,812,014 ordinary fully paid shares (~26% of the issued capital) in Redivium on an undiluted basis. Redivium holds exclusive technology licences to Neometals' original LiB Recycling Technology in Italy, Greece and the Balkans, a non-exclusive licence in the United Kingdom and it is earning a 50% interest in an exclusive licence for Scandinavia held by Critical Metals Limited.
Critical Metals Limited (non cotée, lithium/cobalt/métaux de base scandinaves)
Neometals holds ~18.4% of unlisted public company Critical Metals Ltd, a company which holds an exclusive licence to Neometals' original LiB Recycling Technology in Scandinavia.
Autorisé au nom de Neometals par Christopher Reed, directeur général
Pour plus d'information veuillez contacter:
Néométaux Ltée | |
Chris Reed, directeur général et chef de la direction | Tel: +61 (8)9322 1182 |
Jeremy McManus, directeur général - PI et IR | Tel: +61 (8)9322 1182 |
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited - NOMAD & Broker | |
Neil McDonald | + 44 (0) 131 220 9771 |
Peter Lynch | + 44 (0) 131 220 9772 |
Adam Rae
| + 44 (0) 131 220 9778 |
Déclaration de conformité
Les informations contenues dans ce rapport qui concernent les estimations des ressources minérales pour le projet Barrambie Vanadium/Titanium sont extraites de l'annonce ASX répertoriée ci-dessous, qui est également disponible sur le site Web de la Société à l'adresse www.neometals.com.au
17/04/2018 Barrambie - Updated Barrambie Mineral Resource Estimate
La Société confirme qu'elle n'a connaissance d'aucune nouvelle information ou donnée affectant de manière significative les informations incluses dans les annonces de marché initiales et que toutes les hypothèses et paramètres techniques importants sous-tendant les estimations contenues dans les annonces de marché continuent de s'appliquer et n'ont pas changé de manière significative. La Société confirme que la forme et le contexte dans lesquels les conclusions des personnes compétentes sont présentées n'ont pas été sensiblement modifiés par rapport aux annonces initiales du marché.
Appendice
Annexe 1 : Ressource mondiale
Tableau 1 : Estimation des ressources minérales de la Barrambie, avril 2018*
Annexe 2 : Intérêts dans les immeubles
Au 31 mars 2024, la Société détient une participation dans les projets et immeubles suivants en Australie-Occidentale.
Nom Du Projet | Nom de la licence | Intérêt bénéficiaire | Statut |
Barrambie | M57/173-I | 100% | En ligne |
Barrambie | E57/769-I | 100% | En ligne |
Barrambie | E57/770-I | 100% | En ligne |
Barrambie | E57/1041-I | 100% | En ligne |
Barrambie | E57 / 1220 | 100% | En Attente |
Barrambie | E57 / 1244 | 100% | En Attente |
Barrambie | E57 / 1245 | 100% | En Attente |
Barrambie | E57 / 1379 | 100% | En ligne |
Barrambie | E57 / 1401 | 100% | En Attente |
Barrambie | E57 / 1437 | 100% | En Attente |
Barrambie | E20 / 1037 | 100% | En Attente |
Barrambie | L57 / 0030 | 100% | En ligne |
Barrambie | L57 / 0064 | 100% | En Attente |
Barrambie | L57 / 0065 | 100% | En Attente |
Barrambie | L57 / 0066 | 100% | En Attente |
Barrambie | L20 / 0055 | 100% | En ligne |
Barrambie | L20 / 0080 | 100% | En ligne |
Barrambie | L20 / 0081 | 100% | En ligne |
Rochers de la reine Victoria | E15/1416-I | 100% | En ligne |
Variation des intérêts dans les titres miniers Intérêts dans les titres miniers acquis ou augmentés
Nom Du Projet | Nom de la licence | Acquis ou augmenté |
Barrambie | E57 / 1379 | Application |
Intérêts dans des concessions minières abandonnés, réduits ou expirés
Nom Du Projet | Nom de la licence | Abandonné, réduit ou périmé |
N/D | N/D | N/D |
À propos des néométaux
Neometals facilitates sustainable critical material supply chains and reduces the environmental burden of traditional mining in the global transition to a circular economy.
The Company is commercialising a portfolio of sustainable processing solutions that recycle and recover critical materials from high-value waste streams.
Neometals' core focus is on the commercialisation of its patented, Lithium-ion Battery ("LiB") Recycling technology (50% NMT), under a plant supply and technology licensing business model. Primobius GmbH is the 50:50 incorporated JV with 150-year-old German plant builder, SMS group GmbH, that is commercialising the technology. Primobius is building a 2,500tpa recycling plant for Mercedes-Benz under a
long-term Cooperation Agreement. It also operates its own LiB disposal service in Germany and plans to offer its first commercial 21,000tpa plant to North American licensee, Stelco, in JunQ 2025.
Neometals is also developing two advanced battery materials technologies for commercialisation under low-risk, low-capex technology licensing business models:
· Lithium Chemicals (70% NMT) - Patented ELi™ electrolysis process, co-owned 30% by Mineral Resources Ltd, to produce battery quality lithium hydroxide from brine and/or hard-rock feedstocks at lowest quartile operating costs. Pilot scale test work and Engineering Cost Study update planned for completion in DecQ 2024; and
· Vanadium Recovery (100% NMT) - Patent pending hydrometallurgical process to produce high-purity vanadium pentoxide from steelmaking by-product ("Slag") at lowest-quartile operating cost and carbon footprint.
Pour de plus amples renseignements, visitez www.neometals.com.au
(pour plus de détails, reportez-vous à l'annonce de Neometals ASX intitulée « Accord de coopération avec Mercedes Benz » publiée le 13th Peut 2022)
(pour plus de détails, reportez-vous à l'annonce de Neometals ASX intitulée « Primobius Commercial Update » publiée le 22 décembre 2023)
(pour plus de détails, reportez-vous à l'annonce de Neometals ASX intitulée « Le projet de récupération du vanadium offre de solides résultats de faisabilité » publiée le 8th Mars 2023).
(pour plus de détails, reportez-vous à l'annonce ASX intitulée "Projet Barrambie - Mise à jour des ressources minérales" publié le 17 avril 2018 et tableau 1 (Annexe 1)
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