RE: Weekend research - Near term news flow26 May 2024 14:37
The Just Transition Fund grant
The total amount allocated by the Just Transition fund for the Czech Republic is CZK 41B (€1.64B) of which the Usti region has been allocated CZK 15.8B (approx. €632M).
The first call for grant applications under the JTF opened on 14 November 2022 and closes on 31 December 2023.
Given the total amount which may be applied for by the eleven designated Strategic Projects in the Usti region in the first call is CZK 8.3B (approx €350M) and that the funds allocated in this first call from the Just Transition Fund to these Strategic Projects totals CZK7.3B (approx €300M), although there can be no certainty, the Company is confident that Cinovec will receive a significant portion of the funds applied for from the JTF for the Project.
Accordingly, Geomet s.r.o (the Cinovec project company) will apply for JTF Grant funding for the maximum amount of CZK 1.2B (approx €49M).
Theres €300million just for the 11 strategic projects - there's no reason not to believe Cinovec will recieve a large portion supporting the transion from coal job to clean jobs as the tailings rehabilitate the demomisionwd coals sites. Especially relitive to today's circa £50mil mcap.
As Europe's largest hard-rock lithium mining and processing project, the Cinovec Project is applying for and is expected to receive Strategic Project designation under the CRMA. The Project has already been granted Strategic Process status under the EU's Just Transition Fund.
To be a strategic under the Just Transition is a big deal - there may also be a update on application for Strategic Project status under the CRMA which started last week.
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DFS - The PFS was based on circa 13% of the total resource and no inclusion of the Tin - full DFS alluded would have a phase 2 production of 50,000 - 60,000 TPA which will have a huge impact on the projected NPV.
. Annual production of battery grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate modelled to increase from 25,267 tpa to 29,386 tpa, an increase of 16%.
· NPV8 (post tax) increases from US$1.108B to US$1.938B, an increase of 74.9%, based upon a lithiumhydroxide price of USD17,000 per tonne.
· Post tax IRR of 36.3% and a payback period of 2.5 years from the commencement of production.
· Up-front capital cost due to backfilling plant and additional capital costs to produce 29,386 tpa lithium hydroxide increased to US$644m.
· This 2022 PFS Update assumes the life of mine extraction of 13.1% of the Measured and Indicated JORC Resources at Cinovec.
· Use of tailings for backfill will result in a far smaller environmental impact, further enhancing the Project's already strong ESG credentials.