BELCO update following media report

RNS Number : 5036Q

Bushveld Minerals Limited

21 February 2023

 

Market Abuse Regulation ("MAR") Disclosure

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("MAR"), and is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of MAR. 

21 February 2023

Bushveld Minerals Limited

("Bushveld Minerals" "Bushveld" or the "Company")

Bushveld Electrolyte Company update following media report

Bushveld Minerals Limited (AIM: BMN), the integrated primary vanadium producer and energy storage solutions provider, notes the recent media report, published in South Africa on 19 February, which referred to the commissioning of the Bushveld Electrolyte Company ('BELCO'), South Africa's first vanadium electrolyte factory, having started and the hope to produce 1 million litres of vanadium electrolyte this year.

The Company would like to clarify that whilst cold commissioning of the electrolyte manufacturing facility has commenced, hot commissioning and production is, as previously advised, due to be completed in H1 2023. Further, whilst progress is being made in the qualification process with manufacturers to use its electrolyte, the Company is not providing any production guidance, at the current time, as production will be informed by sales and off-take contracts with Original Equipment Manufacturers, discussions of which are ongoing.

ENDS

Enquiries: [e-mail]

Bushveld Minerals Limited		[phone]
Fortune Mojapelo, Chief Executive Officer
Chika Edeh, Head of Investor Relations
SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP	Nominated Adviser & Broker	[phone]
Richard Morrison / Charlie Bouverat
Grant Baker / Richard Parlons
RBC Capital Markets	Joint Broker	[phone]
Jonathan Hardy / Caitlin Leopold
Tavistock	Financial PR
Gareth Tredway / Tara Vivian-Neal/ Adam Baynes		[phone]

ABOUT BUSHVELD MINERALS LIMITED

Bushveld Minerals is a low-cost, vertically integrated primary vanadium producer. It is one of only three operating primary vanadium producers, owning 2 of the world's 4 operating primary vanadium processing facilities. In 2022, the Company produced 3,842 mtV, representing approximately 3% of the global vanadium market. Bushveld Vanadium is targeting to grow its vanadium production and achieve an annualised steady state production run rate of between 5,000 mtVp.a. and 5,400 mtVp.a in the near term from existing capacity. Growth plans to expand to 8,000 mtVp.a. will be pursued, subject to funding and market conditions. With a diversified vanadium product portfolio serving the needs of the steel, energy and chemical sectors, the Company participates in the entire vanadium value chain through its two main pillars: Bushveld Vanadium, which mines and processes vanadium ore; and Bushveld Energy, an energy storage solutions provider.

 Bushveld Energy is focused on developing and promoting the role of vanadium in the growing global energy storage market through the advancement of vanadium-based energy storage systems, specifically Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries ("VRFBs")

Detailed information on the Company and progress to date can be accessed on the website www.bushveldminerals.com

About Vametco

Vametco is located near Brits on the Western Limb of the Bushveld Complex. The integrated operation comprises a vanadium ore mine and a processing plant that produces mostly Nitro Vanadium. The mine lies adjacent to the Brits Vanadium Project, which will in future serve as an alternative source of near surface run of mine ("ROM") ore feed to the Vametco plant.

The Vametco mining operation uses open pit bench mining methods to mine a well-defined orebody. The deposit is continuous with limited faulting and dips in a northerly direction at approximately 19 degrees.

ROM ore is fed into a primary, secondary and tertiary crushing circuit, followed by milling and magnetic separation to produce magnetite concentrates. The magnetite concentrate is fed into the extraction process which consists of a rotary kiln for roasting followed by leaching and precipitation. Thereafter the precipitated vanadium as ammonium metavanadate is converted to modified vanadium oxide ("MVO") in a rotary calciner. MVO is fed into the mix plant and finally into the shaft furnaces to produce Nitro Vanadium.

About Vanchem

Vanchem is situated at Ferrobank Industrial Park in Emalahleni Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province in the Republic of South Africa. Vanchem is a primary vanadium producing facility with a beneficiation plant capable of producing various vanadium oxides, ferrovanadium and vanadium chemicals. Vanchem uses the salt roast beneficiation process, similar to the one used at Vametco. The plant comprises: a core salt-roast processing plant, including 3 roasting kilns, an electric smelting ferrovanadium converter, an alumino-thermic smelting facility, also located at Highveld, a vanadium chemical plant; and a rail siding linking the plant with Bushveld deposits and additional potential supply sources through the national rail network.

 

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