RE: Antelope23 Apr 2020 10:50
Thu, 23rd Apr 2020 09:36
RNS Number : 6433K
European Metals Holdings Limited
23 April 2020
For immediate release
23 APRIL 2020
EUROPEAN METALS HOLDINGS LIMITED
CEZ INVESTMENT IN CINOVEC PROJECT APPROVED
European Metals Holdings Limited ("European Metals" or the "Company") is pleased to advise that today shareholders have approved at the General Meeting of the Company, the amended arrangements for the investment of EUR 29.1 million (approximately GBP 25.8 million) by CEZ a.s. ("CEZ") for a 51% equity interest in Geomet, the Company's Czech subsidiary and holder of the Cinovec licenses.
The investment of EUR 29.1 million will see the Cinovec project fully funded to the decision to construct, paving the way for Cinovec to become the first European Union producer of battery grade lithium compounds from a local lithium resource.
The transaction is scheduled to complete on Monday, 27 April 2020, and the work program will begin immediately.
European Metals Managing Director Keith Coughlan said, "This is a very significant day in the life of the Cinovec Project. To have Europe's largest hard rock lithium project fully funded to decision to construct ensures that Cinovec is firmly entrenched as the pre-eminent lithium deposit in Europe. We are very pleased to be in partnership with CEZ in the development of the Cinovec Project. CEZ not only provide corporate, technical and financial strength, they fully share the Company's vision for the development of a lithium ion battery industry in Czech Republic."
Cinovec Project - no current effect from COVID-19
With the completion of the agreement with CEZ, Geomet will now immediately commence the Definitive Feasibility Study ("DFS") and Front-End Engineering Design ("FEED") programmes of work.
The funds contributed by CEZ will fully finance Geomet and Cinovec through the period to construction permitting and commencement of construction. The principal components of the next phase of work on Cinovec are the availability of management and staff, ore samples for test work and laboratory staff and time.
All management and staff of both EMH and Geomet are unaffected by COVID-19 and the current restrictions on travel and meetings are not expected to have any impact for the foreseeable future; all staff are able and continue to work remotely.
To-date, the Cinovec Project has drilled in excess of 13,800m of diamond drilling under the management of EMH. Extensive sample quantities are available from the resulting drill core as well as material recovered from historic adit drives into the ore body. Significant quantities of ore sample are held at our laboratory partners in Germany and at the project office in the Czech Republic.
European Metals and Geomet have confirmed with our laboratory and engineering partners in Germany and Australia that staff and laboratories involved in the DFS and FEED programmes over the next 3 months are ready and open