Altech – Silumina Anodes Project Update

Altech Chemicals Limited (Altech/the Company) (ASX: ATC) (FRA: A3Y) is pleased to announce an update on its Silumina Anodes^TM pilot plant project in Saxony, Germany, as well as an update on the Definitive Feasibility Study for the planned Silumina Anodes^TM 10,000tpa plant.

Highlights

• Pilot plant construction progressing well and as planned
• Front end, wet plant largely completed and commissioning underway
• Long lead back end (dryer and calciner) under construction in South Africa
• Scheduled installation and commissioning mid-year
• DFS work progressing well on full-scale 10,000tpa plant

The Company announced its game-changing technology of incorporating high-capacity high-purity alumina- coated silicon and graphite in lithium-ion batteries, and recently completed a Preliminary Feasibility Study for the construction of a 10,000tpa Silumina Anodes^TM plant in Saxony, Germany, that includes an NPV of US$507M. Altech is in a race to get its patented technology to market. To support the development, Altech has commenced construction of a pilot plant adjacent to the proposed project site to enable the qualification process for its Silumina Anodes^TM product.

Pilot Plant Update

Altech is pleased to advise that the construction of the Silumina Anodes^TM pilot plant is progressing well and as planned. The pilot plant's front end, known as the wet circuit, is progressing well. The necessary infrastructure including power supply, building modifications, laboratory, and front-end wet circuit are nearing completion. The pilot plant is being housed in an existing building in Dock3 at Schwarze Pumpe, with the required building modifications and electrical panel infrastructure construction completed in the last quarter. See Figures 1-4 for images.

Fabrication of the back-end of the pilot plant, including the coating equipment, dryer, and calciner (longer lead times) is currently underway in South Africa and Europe. Whilst some back-end items such as the silicon carbide linings are being expedited, Altech anticipates that the final items will be installed and commissioned by Q3 this year.

Altech’s pilot plant personnel have been recruited and trained in Germany, ready for the commissioning and start-up phase of the pilot plant. The commissioning of the front end of the pilot plant is currently underway. Aluminium chloride feedstock digestion, which will be used for the alumina coating process, will be commissioned in the subsequent weeks. The Kuettner engineering team is now focused on the development of commissioning and operational documentation. The pilot plant is designed to produce 120kg per day of the Silumina Anodes^TM product, which will then be provided to selected potential end users for product testing.

Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS)

In anticipation of the pilot plant being commissioned, Altech is progressing with the Silumina Anodes^TM 10,000tpa DFS by completing the phase 1 process definition. The DFS is running in parallel with the pilot plant construction, with Kuettner’s detailed design team having transitioned from the pilot plant design to the DFS study. The mass and energy balance has been finalised, allowing for the progression of layouts and sourcing of production-scale vendor equipment to commence.

Altech also appointed ARIKON Infrastruktur GmbH (Arikon) to manage the approval process, site infrastructure requirements, and the balance of the plant. Arikon will be responsible for managing the application process and working with relevant regulatory bodies to obtain all necessary approvals for the project. This includes securing necessary permits and licenses, coordinating with local authorities, and arranging utility connections. Additionally, Arikon will be responsible for designing the site infrastructure requirements for the site.

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