Giyani Announces Process Flowsheet Handover to Specialist Engineering Firm for Demonstration Plant Construction
TORONTO, April 25, 2022 - Giyani Metals Corp. (TSXV:EMM, GR:A2DUU8) ("Giyani" or the "Company"), developer of the K.Hill manganese oxide project ("K.Hill Project") in Botswana, is pleased to announce handover of the process flowsheet for the K.Hill Project.
Highlights
- Design of process flowsheet, developed by Coffey Geotechnics Ltd., a Tetra Tech Inc. company ("Tetra Tech"), completed and accepted by a specialist hydrometallurgical engineering firm ("Engineering Firm").
- The Engineering Firm to use the process flowsheet to provide basis for the engineering of a demonstration plant ("Demo Plant"), capable of producing high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate ("HPMSM") for testing by potential offtakers, to be constructed during 2022.
In January 2021, the Company appointed Tetra Tech to develop the process flowsheet to produce HPMSM directly from Giyani's manganese oxide ore as part of the feasibility study on the K.Hill Project ("FS") and to be used in the concept design of the Demo Plant. Having overseen the metallurgical testwork program and process flowsheet development, Tetra Tech has completed the process flowsheet and submitted it to the Company and the Engineering Firm.
Following a detailed review of technical parameters and design objectives, the Engineering Firm has confirmed acceptance of the process flowsheet as the basis for the engineering of the Demo Plant, which is anticipated to be capable of producing approximately 600kg per day of HPMSM crystals, used in the manufacturing of lithium-ion battery ("LiB") cathodes. The Company has already placed an order for one crystalliser unit of the Demo Plant and, following formal engagement, the Engineering Firm will commence construction.
The Demo Plant will provide material to potential customers for quality testing, with the first shipments expected in 2023. The final HPMSM product will have a target quality specification developed from discussions with a number of the world's largest battery makers and electric vehicle ("EV") companies. As the Company advances towards first production from the Demo Plant, it has continued its discussions with various EV and LiB manufacturers as well as strategic international marketing groups with regard to future offtake and potential financing options.
Robin Birchall, CEO of the Company, commented:
"It has taken meticulous work to get to this stage and it is very pleasing to announce another significant milestone in our journey to becoming a responsible, sustainable and low-carbon producer of HPMSM, a critical material to the EV transition.
The flowsheet is the heart of our K.Hill Project and successful handover of the design by our specialist engineers means both the FS and the Demo Plant have taken another major step towards completion. We have set ourselves the goal of producing HPMSM of the highest possible quality with the lowest possible carbon footprint and this is reflected in the design which we have developed, but we will continue to look to improve our process as we move towards the production phase.
Meanwhile, the list of LiB manufacturers and EV companies evaluating our project continues to grow. The K.Hill Project is one of the very few new HPMSM projects in development globally and offers buyers on all continents the rare opportunity to secure their cathode material supply chain with a responsible source with the added advantage of diversifying from China as the current dominant producer."
About Giyani
Giyani is a mineral resource company focused on becoming one of Africa's first low-carbon producers of high-purity manganese sulphate precursor materials directly from manganese oxide ore, used by battery manufacturers for the expanding EV market, through the advancement of its manganese assets in the Kanye Basin in south-eastern Botswana, (the "Kanye Basin Prospects") through its wholly-owned Botswana subsidiary Menzi Battery Metals (Pty) Limited. The Company's Kanye Basin Prospects consist of 10 prospecting licences and include the past producing Kgwakgwe Hill mine and project, referred to as the K.Hill Project, the Otse manganese prospect and the Lobatse manganese prospect, both of which have seen historical mining activities.
The Company is currently undertaking a feasibility study on the K.Hill Project, following an updated preliminary assessment report announced on April 12, 2021, with a post-tax NPV of USD332 million and post-tax IRR of 80%, based on a development plan to produce around 891,000 tonnes of HPMSM over a 10 year project life. An updated 43-101 technical report on the K.Hill Project is available on www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.giyanimetals.com.
Qualified Persons / NI 43-101 Disclosures
EUR ING Andrew Carter BSc, CEng, MIMMM, MSAIMM, SME Technical Director Coffey Geotechnics Ltd - a Tetra Tech Inc. company, is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release.
About Tetra Tech
Tetra Tech is a leading provider of high-end consulting and engineering services for projects worldwide. With 20,000 associates employed, Tetra Tech provides clear solutions to complex problems in water, environment, infrastructure, resource management, energy, and international development. For more information about Tetra Tech, please visit www.tetratech.com
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Giyani Metals Corp.
Robin Birchall, CEO
Contact:
Robin Birchall CEO, Director
+44 7711 313019
rbirchall@giyanimetals.com
George Donne
VP Business Development
+44 7866 591 897
gdonne@giyanimetals.com
Judith Webster
Corporate Secretary
+1 416 453 8818
jwebster@giyanimetals.com
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The securities described herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or "U.S. persons," as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act ("U.S. Persons"), except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Company's securities to, or for the account of benefit of, persons in the United States or U.S. Persons.
Forward Looking Information
This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Giyani expects to occur, are "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "does not expect", "plans", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "scheduled", "forecast", "budget" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. Specific forward-looking statements and forward-looking information herein includes completion of receipt of TSXV approval for the private placement and completion of the private placement.
All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of the relevant management as of the date such statements are made and are subject to certain assumptions, important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Giyani's ability to control or predict. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In the case of Giyani, these facts include their anticipated operations in future periods, planned exploration and development of its properties, and plans related to its business and other matters that may occur in the future. This information relates to analyses and other information that is based on expectations of future performance and planned work programs.
Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, including, without limitation: inherent exploration hazards and risks; risks related to exploration and development of natural resource properties; uncertainty in Giyani's ability to obtain funding; commodity price fluctuations; recent market events and conditions; risks related to the uncertainty of mineral resource calculations and the inclusion of inferred mineral resources in economic estimation; risks in how the world-wide economic and social impact of COVID-19 is managed; risks related to governmental regulations; risks related to obtaining necessary licenses and permits; risks related to their business being subject to environmental laws and regulations; risks related to their mineral properties being subject to prior unregistered agreements, transfers, or claims and other defects in title; risks relating to competition from larger companies with greater financial and technical resources; risks relating to the inability to meet financial obligations under agreements to which they are a party; ability to recruit and retain qualified personnel; and risks related to their directors and officers becoming associated with other natural resource companies which may give rise to conflicts of interests. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Giyani's forward-looking information. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking information or statements.
Giyani's forward-looking information is based on the reasonable beliefs, expectations and opinions of their respective management on the date the statements are made, and Giyani does not assume any obligation to update forward looking information if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions change, except as required by law. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. For a complete discussion with respect to Giyani and risks associated with forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, please refer to Giyani's Annual Information Form, all of which are filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.