Cadence Minerals plc (LON:KDNC) has noted that European Metals Holdings Limited has announced the appointment of SMS group Process Technologies GmbH as the lead engineer for the minerals processing and lithium battery-grade chemicals production at the Cinovec Project.
The Cinovec Project, a joint venture between European Metals and ČEZ Group through its subsidiary Severočeské doly , has recently received investment in the amount of EUR 29m, funding the Project through to the construction decision.
Under the Agreement, SMS group will provide a complete Front-End Engineering Design study as the major component of the ongoing Definitive Feasibility Study work at Cinovec.
Headquartered in Dusseldorf, the German family-owned SMS group is one of the world’s leading companies in plant construction and mechanical engineering for the technology metals and materials sector. Employing more than 14,000 people globally and with a presence in more than 50 countries, SMS group earned global revenues of €2.9bn in the year ended 31 December 2019. SMS group is also a world leader in electrical and automation systems including digital solutions for self-learning processing plants to continously optimise plant performance, product quality and energy consumption. Being in business for more than 150 years, SMS group has a rich track record in the successful development and delivery of complex large-scale integrated plants.
Under the Agreement, SMS will provide the following to the Cinovec Project:
· Full process integration from the point of delivery of ore to the underground crusher through to the delivery of finished battery-grade lithium chemicals for battery and cathode manufacturers.
· The FEED will include all of the process steps – comminution, beneficiation, roasting, leaching and purification.
· The FEED will encompass both the lithium process flowsheet and the tin/tungsten recovery circuit delivering metal concentrates to refineries.
· The FEED is intended to deliver a binding fixed price lump sum turnkey EPC contract with associated process guarantee and product specification guarantees for battery-grade lithium chemicals. The combination of these will greatly assist to underwrite project financing from leading European and global financial institutions lending into this new energy EV-led industrial revolution.
The FEED study will commence immediately and is expected to deliver the EPC contract, as the final component part of the Cinovec DFS, by the end of 4Q 2021.
The full release can be found at: https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/EMH/appointment-of-leading-global-engineer/14694966
Herbert Weissenbaeck, Senior Vice President for Strategic Project Development at SMS group, commented “Having successfully completed thorough technical due diligence we believe in the compelling value proposition of Geomet’s Cinovec Lithium/Tin/Tungsten project, which is set to become a cornerstone of the e-mobility driven European battery metals landscape. SMS group is delighted to deploy its second-to-none technology metals and materials production know-how and EPC capabilities into this exciting project.”
European Metals Executive Chairman Keith Coughlan commented; SMS is the ideal engineering partner for the Cinovec Project as it is based in neighbouring Germany with a globally-respected process design capability. The appointment of SMS is the culmination of a negotiation and due diligence process that has lasted over a year. EMH, Geomet and Č EZ have all been consistently impressed by SMS group’s capabilities and insights into the development of efficient high recovery plants capable of producing very high-quality end-products. Successful delivery of the FEED study will provide a gateway to financing institutions and off-takers of the highest quality. We believe that the intended product and process guarantees will greatly enhance the Project finance either directly through commercial lenders or through the recently announced collaborative agreement with EIT InnoEnergy.”
Pavel Čmelík, CEO of Geomet a.s. and Director, New Ventures Development, Č EZ a.s., commented; “Č EZ is very happy to have a world-leading process engineer join the Cinovec Project, an integrated mine and battery-grade chemicals producer which is expected to be a key contributor to the ongoing energy sector transformation within the European Union. We look forward to working together with SMS group to fulfil the considerable potential of this Czech project in the wider European context”.
Cadence Minerals Holding in EMH
Cadence holds approximately 15% percent of the equity in European Metals, which, through its wholly owned Subsidiary, Geomet s.r.o., controls the mineral exploration licenses awarded by the Czech State over Cinovec.
