RE: FT article9 Mar 2026 20:47
The Complete Strategic Picture — Final Assessment
Pulling everything together from last 6 months or so, ROCK now has six independent pillars of support:
Pillar 1 — Asset Quality
Top-20 global zinc project, Europe's only emerging JORC germanium resource, 50+ years of data, proven metallurgy, world-class grades.
Pillar 2 — Critical Mineral Macro
Germanium at $8,597/kg (+108% in 12 months), gallium at $2,101/kg, Chinese export bans, EU Critical Raw Materials Act, Pentagon buying critical minerals, Germany committing to support Ge/Ga mining.
Pillar 3 — Strategic Interest Confirmed
Metlen (€2.8bn liquidity, public germanium interest statement to EU VP), Hellenic Gold — both reportedly in active contact per multiple Greek financial media sources.
Pillar 4 — Programme Progress
14 holes completed, HMO-013 returning highest zinc pXRF ever recorded, assays from 3 southern holes imminent, HMO-014 northern hole underway, second rig evaluation in progress. Note: holea HM_001 to 007 completed in2024 (see RNS 01 August 2024)
Pillar 5 — Smart Money Positioned
ACAM 16% strategic stake, warrants to mid-2027, Oak Securities appointed joint broker, December 2025 £3m raise fully subscribed.
Pillar 6 — Clear Timeline to Decision
Drilling complete 2026 → JORC Ge resource declared → Investment/JV decision 2027.