European Metals Holdings Limited (EMH or the Company) (ASX & AIM: EMH, OTC – Nasdaq Intl ADS: EMHXY) is pleased to announce the results of the mining update to the 2019 Pre-Feasibility Study (2022 PFS Update), led by mining definitive feasibility study (DFS) consultant Bara Consulting, on the backfilling potential of the Cinovec mine, in which it has a 49% economic interest, in the Czech Republic.
HIGHLIGHTS- The 2019 PFS Update for the Cinovec Project has been updated to demonstrate the effect of changes in the mining process to incorporate the use of paste backfill, which results in an increase in annual production, together with changes in lithium and by-product prices to reflect current and expected market conditions.
- 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 lithium hydroxide price of USD17,000 per tonne which is significantly less than the current price.
- 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.
The study updates the outcomes of the previously updated pre-feasibility study announced on 17 June 2019 (2019 PFS Update), for changes in the mining process as well as an increase in annual production and changes in lithium and by-product prices.
As a result of the conclusions of the study, Geomet s.r.o. (Geomet) has changed the planned mining method for the Cinovec orebody from open stoping to longhole stoping with backfill using paste backfill. This change, together with other changes to the material assumptions outlined in this update, increases the Cinovec mine’s proposed ore extraction from 34.5mt up to 54.5mt, enabling an increase in the annual processing rate by approximately 33% per annum over the previous 21-year life of mine, from 1.69mtpa to 2.25mtpa over a now 25-year life of mine.
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