Highlights:
- Euro Manganese's wholly owned subsidiary, Mangan Chvaletice s.r.o., has been granted an extension of its Chvaletice Exploration Licenses to May 31, 2026.
- Mangan Chvaletice has also been granted a new Preliminary Mining Permit, also valid to May 31, 2026.
- Permitting agencies consulted with local communities on the extensions, and there were no objections to the granting of these rights.
- The supportive permitting decisions made by the Czech Ministry of the Environment represent a continued vote of confidence in Euro Manganese's Chvaletice development plans.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Euro Manganese Inc. (TSX-V and ASX: EMN; OTCQX: EUMNF) (the "Company" or "EMN") is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, Mangan Chvaletice s.r.o., ("Mangan") has been granted extensions of its exclusive resource development rights related to the Company's Chvaletice Manganese Project ("Project").
On July 2, 2021, Mangan received notice from the Czech Ministry of the Environment (the "Ministry") that its exploration licences have been extended by three years to May 31, 2026. The first exploration tenure was granted in 2014, when exploration and evaluation work began at the project site. The extension allows work to continue on all aspects of the manganese resource development, including the tailings extraction for the Project's Demonstration Plant ("DP"), targeted to begin operation in the first quarter of 2022.
On July 20, 2021, the Ministry also granted Mangan a new Preliminary Mining Permit, valid until May 31, 2026. The permit secures Mangan's exclusive rights to the Chvaletice tailings resource and the Company's right to conduct the Project's Final Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, which is expected to be completed and filed with permitting authorities in the first quarter of 2022. The existing permit was due to expire in 2023.
The opportunity to extend the Chvaletice resource development rights to 2026 was made possible by the Czech permitting agencies in acknowledgement of the potential benefits the Project will bring, as well as delays and challenges that have been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Permitting agencies consulted with local communities on the extensions, and there were no objections to the granting of these rights.
The exploration licenses and Preliminary Mining Permit are expected to be superseded by mining leases and permits for the Project, contingent on approval of the Final Environmental and Social Impact Assessment.
"Our Project team has worked diligently to develop strong lines of communication and earn the trust and cooperation of regulatory agencies, community stakeholders and all levels of government," says Euro Manganese CEO, Marco Romero. "The extension of our mineral rights by the Ministry of the Environment is clear evidence of the strength of the relationships and reputation that we have built, and the respectful and collaborative approach that governs all our dealings with stakeholders. Further, these extensions give us ample time to execute the Project work against our ultimate goal of start-up, commissioning and commercial production in late 2024/early 2025."
The Chvaletice Manganese Project continues to make steady progress as demand for high purity manganese continues to increase in Europe and globally. The restart of the pilot plant, which will provide small samples of high purity manganese products for prospective customers, is proceeding on schedule, with delivery of samples expected later this year. Fabrication of the Project's Demonstration Plant is well underway. The DP is designed to produce large-scale product samples for supply chain qualification purposes. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2022. Work is also advancing well on the Projects' definitive feasibility study and Final Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, both also on track for completion in the first quarter of 2022.
In addition to supporting the EU's goals of decarbonization, electrification of mobility and creating a circular economy, the Project brings local environmental and social benefits. As tailings from the decommissioned mine get recycled to produce battery-grade manganese, a longstanding source of water pollution will be eliminated, and high-quality jobs will be created for local communities.
Selected past EMN news releases for further background:
- June 14, 2021 news release: Euro Manganese to Restart Pilot Plant in Response to Prospective Customers. (https://www.mn25.ca/post/euro-manganese-to-restart-pilot-plant-in-response-to-prospective-customers)
- May 23, 2021 news release: Euro Manganese provides update on Chvaletice Manganese Project (https://www.mn25.ca/post/nr-2021-10).
About Euro Manganese Inc.
Euro Manganese Inc. is a battery materials company whose principal focus is advancing the development of the Chvaletice Manganese Project, in which it holds a 100% interest. The proposed Project entails re-processing a significant manganese deposit hosted in mine tailings from a decommissioned mine, strategically located in the Czech Republic. The Company's goal is to become a leading, competitive and environmentally superior primary producer of ultra-high-purity Manganese Products in the heart of Europe, serving the lithium-ion battery industry, as well as other high-technology applications.
The technical information in this news release concerning the Chvaletice Manganese Project was prepared under the supervision of Ms. Andrea Zaradic, P. Eng., a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Ms. Zaradic has reviewed and approved the information in this news release for which she is responsible and has consented to the inclusion of the matters in this news release based on the information in the form and context in which it appears.
Authorized for release by the CEO of Euro Manganese Inc.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) or the ASX accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
| Contact: | |
| Euro Manganese Inc. | |
| Marco A. Romero | Fausto Taddei |
| President & CEO | Vice President, Corporate Development |
| +1 (604)-681-1010 ext. 101 | & Corporate Secretary |
| +1 (604)-681-1010 ext. 105 | |
| Media inquiries: | |
| Ron Shewchuk | |
| Director of Communications | |
| +1 604-781-2199 |
E-mail: info@mn25.ca
Website: www.mn25.ca
Company Address:
#709 - 700 West Pender St.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6C 1G8
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking information or statements relate to future events or future performance about the Company and its business and operations, which include, without limitation, statements with respect to the continued development of the Project, the restart of the pilot plant, the timing of the delivery and operation of the demonstration plant, the successful qualification of the Company's high-purity manganese products, the completion and timing of the definitive feasibility study, the timing of the filing of Project's Final Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, and the ability of the Company to convert the exploration licenses and Preliminary Mining Permit into mining leases and permits for the Project. Further, it should be noted that no production decision has been made with respect to the Project and that such a decision will only be made based on completion of a positive feasibility study, permitting and financing having been secured.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to, the factors discussed under "Risks Notice" and elsewhere in the Company's MD&A, as well as the inability to obtain regulatory approvals in a timely manner; the potential for unknown or unexpected events to cause contractual conditions to not be satisfied; unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the Company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations.
Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors set forth in the "Risks Notice" section and elsewhere in the Company's MD&A for the year ended September 30, 2020 and its Annual Information Form.
