R375 million Debt Facilities Secured

RNS Number : 6776R

Bushveld Minerals Limited

30 October 2019

 

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

Certain information contained in this announcement would have been deemed inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 until the release of this announcement.

30 October 2019

Bushveld Minerals Limited

("Bushveld Minerals" or the "Company")

R375 million Debt Facilities Secured

Bushveld Minerals Limited (AIM: BMN), the AIM quoted, integrated primary vanadium producer, with ownership of high grade vanadium assets in South Africa, is pleased to announce that it has secured R375 million (approximately US$25 million) in debt facilities through its subsidiary Bushveld Vametco Alloys Proprietary Limited ("the Borrower") with Nedbank Limited (acting through its Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking division), a South African based financial institution, in the form of a R250 million loan and a R125 million revolving credit facility.

·      Key highlights of the R250 million loan:

o  Five-year amortising loan;

o  Interest rate calculated using the three year or six months JIBAR¹ as selected by the Company plus a 3.4% margin;

o  Interest payments are due semi-annually with first payment due in six months from financial close;

o  Principal repayments will be made semi-annually in arrears over four years in eight equal instalments, with first payment due 18 months after financial close.

·      Key highlights of the R125 million revolving credit facility:

o  Three-year term;

o  Interest rate calculated using the three year or six months JIBAR¹ as selected by the Company plus a 3.6% margin;

o  Interest payments are due semi-annually with first payment due in six months from financial close.

·      The security provided is customary for a secured financing of this nature, including cession of shares in the Borrower, security over the assets of the Borrower, and a parent guarantee.

·      Both facilities are subject to market related arranging and commitment fees.

1      The three month and six-month JIBAR as at 24 October 2019 is 6.78% and 7.23% respectively.

Fortune Mojapelo, CEO of Bushveld Minerals Limited, commented: 

"We are pleased to announce the successful conclusion of the debt facility discussions. The funding provides additional flexibility for our business as we advance strategic initiatives at Bushveld Vanadium and Bushveld Energy.

The Company is committed to maintaining a conservative balance sheet and believes shareholders will benefit from the improved capital structure."

Enquiries: [e-mail]

Bushveld Minerals		[phone]
Fortune Mojapelo, Chief Executive Officer
Chika Edeh, Head of Investor Relations
SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP	Nominated Adviser & Broker	[phone]
Ewan Leggat / Richard Morrison
Abigail Wayne / Richard Parlons
BMO Capital Markets Limited	Joint Broker	[phone]
Jeffrey Couch / Tom Rider Michael Rechsteiner / Neil Elliot
Peel Hunt LLP	Joint Broker	[phone]
Ross Allister/ James Bavister
David McKeown
Tavistock	Financial PR	[phone]
Charles Vivian / Gareth Tredway
Brunswick	Financial PR (South Africa)	[phone]
Miyelani Shikwambana

ABOUT BUSHVELD MINERALS LIMITED

Bushveld Minerals is a low-cost, integrated, primary vanadium producer, with ownership of high-grade vanadium assets. 

The Company's flagship vanadium platform includes a 74 per cent controlling interest in Bushveld Vametco Alloys (Pty) Ltd, a primary vanadium mining and processing company; the Mokopane Vanadium Project and the Brits Vanadium Project.

Bushveld's vision is to become a significant, low-cost, integrated primary vanadium producer through owning high-grade assets. This incorporates development and promotion of the role of vanadium in the growing global energy storage market through Bushveld Energy, the Company's energy storage project developer and component manufacturer. Whilst the demand for vanadium remains largely anchored in the steel industry, Bushveld Minerals believes there is strong potential for an imminent and significant global vanadium demand surge from the fast-growing energy storage market, particularly through the use and adoption of Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries.

While the Company's focus is on vanadium operations and the development and promotion of VRFBs, it has additional investments in coal, power and tin.

The Company's approach to project development recognises that, whilst attractive project economics are imperative, may be insufficient to secure capital to bring them to account. A clear path to production within a visible timeframe, low capital expenditure requirements and scalability are important factors in ensuring a positive return on investment. This philosophy is core to the Company's strategy in developing projects.

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

 

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