Further to the Preliminary Economic Assessment announced on 31 January 2025, Metals One (AIM: MET1, OTCQB: MTOPF), a critical and precious metals exploration and development company, is pleased to announce it has formally applied to the EU for Strategic Project designation for the Company’s Black Schist Ni-Cu-Co-Zn Project in Finland. The application has been made pursuant to the Critical Raw Materials Act, which seeks to establish a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials.
Highlights of Basis of Application
Project Summary & Strategy Recap
The Black Schist Project comprises the Rautavaara (‘R1’) and Paltamo (‘P5’) deposits in eastern Finland, near the regional mining centre of Sotkamo and supported by excellent transport and power infrastructure. Metals One holds 100% of the licences through its wholly owned subsidiary and acquired the project in 2023, commissioning CSA Global to prepare a Competent Persons Report, including a Mineral Resource Estimate for R1. The project is located within the economically significant Kainuu Schist Belt, which hosts Talvivaara-style black schist mineralisation – one of Europe’s lowest-cost and most environmentally attractive sources of Ni-Zn-Co-Cu battery metals.
On listing, Metals One secured low-risk exploration licences across the belt, including an existing JORC Inferred Resource of 28.1 Mt at R1 and a JORC Exploration Target of 16-25 Mt at P5. The Company’s strategy focuses on rapidly growing resources by refining a geological and geophysical prospectivity model, expanding and upgrading R1 and P5 through drilling, and identifying new targets. In late 2023, an eight-hole, 1,548 m drill programme at the R1 Hook anomaly refined the model and highlighted potential resource extensions, with early results already guiding further target generation, including the K1 prospect at Korpimäki.
Purpose of Designation
For the purposes of designation under the Critical Raw Materials Act, the R1 deposit constitutes the Strategic Project core asset of the Black Schist Project.
The designation is sought to support the advancement of R1 from Preliminary Economic Assessment (‘PEA’) to Pre-Feasibility Study (‘PFS’) and subsequent permitting, enabling near-term de-risking of EU-based extraction capacity for strategic raw materials, notably cobalt and copper, with nickel produced as a strategically relevant co-product.
Basis for Prioritisation
R1 has been prioritised based on the following PEA-supported factors:
Demonstrated positive economics at PEA level, including a post-tax NPV at both 5% and 8% discount rates as announced on 31 January 2025 Established JORC-compliant Inferred Mineral Resource constrained by reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction Proximity to established Finnish processing infrastructure and technical precedent Manageable environmental and permitting risks that are identifiable and capable of early mitigationP5 is excluded from the initial Strategic Project scope and is considered a contingent, medium-term optional expansion subject to future optimisation and market conditions.
Strategic Intent
Strategic Project designation is intended to:
Support structured and coordinated permitting for the Rautavaara deposit Facilitate engagement with EU institutions, Member State authorities and potential downstream counterparties Enable access to EU-aligned de-risking, financing and technical assistance mechanisms Preserve optionality for future expansion without diluting near-term strategic focusProject Relevance
In 2023, global nickel production was reported to be over 3.3 Mt, an increase of over 10% from 2022, of which Indonesia and the Philippines account for over 60%. By contrast, negligible amounts of nickel are currently produced in Europe. Although nickel does not currently qualify as a critical raw material in the EU, the US Geological Survey added nickel (and zinc) to its critical minerals list in 2022, meaning that the metal is now considered to be essential to the economic security of the US. Despite not qualifying for the EU list, analysis still identified nickel to be of material economic importance to the EU as a Strategic Raw Material and, since the start of Q2 2022, Indonesia (the largest global producer) has banned the export of unprocessed nickel ores to ensure that ores are processed domestically as opposed to being exported and processed offshore. Given these relatively recent developments in the nickel market, producing the metal domestically within the EU becomes an ever more critical goal.
The PEA highlights the opportunity for the Company’s Black Schist Project to make a meaningful contribution to the security of the EU’s supply of this strategic material.
Daniel Maling, Managing Director of Metals One, commented:
‘Access to raw materials is essential for the EU’s economy and the functioning of the internal market. The Black Schist Project is a multi-metal extraction project potentially contributing to the Union’s security of supply for several Strategic Raw Materials.
Strategic Project designation would provide several key advantages that could aid in the project’s development and long-term success, including but not limited to enhanced access to project financing, including eligibility for funding from EU programmes, and streamlined permitting processes.
Given the key role of many critical raw materials in realising the green and digital transitions, and considering their use for defence and aerospace applications, demand is likely to increase exponentially in the coming decades. Further, risk of supply disruptions is increasing against the background of rising geopolitical tensions and resource competition. We believe our Black Schist Project can contribute a stable and secure resource of strategic and critical metals to the EU market.’
Enquiries:
Metals One Plc
Daniel Maling, Managing Director
Craig Moulton, Chairman
info@metals-one.com
+44 (0)20 7981 2576
Beaumont Cornish Limited (Nominated Adviser)
James Biddle / Roland Cornish
+44 (0)20 7628 3396
Oak Securities (Joint Broker)
Jerry Keen / Calvin Man
+44 (0)20 3973 3678
Capital Plus Partners Limited (Joint Broker)
Jonathan Critchley
+44 (0)207 432 0501
Vigo Consulting (UK Investor Relations)
Ben Simons / Fiona Hetherington
IR.MetalsOne@vigoconsulting.com +44 (0)20 7390 0230
About Metals One
Metals One is pursuing a strategic portfolio of critical and precious metals projects and investments underpinned by the Western World’s urgent need for reliably and responsibly sourced raw materials – and record high gold prices. Metals One’s shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM Market (MET1) and on the OTCQB Venture Market in the United States (MTOPF).
Map of Metals One projects/investments
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Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure
The information set out below is provided in accordance with the requirements of Article 19(3) of the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 which forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (‘MAR’).
Nominated Adviser
Beaumont Cornish Limited (‘Beaumont Cornish’) is the Company’s Nominated Adviser and is authorised and regulated by the FCA. Beaumont Cornish’s responsibilities as the Company’s Nominated Adviser, including a responsibility to advise and guide the Company on its responsibilities under the AIM Rules for Companies and AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers, are owed solely to the London Stock Exchange. Beaumont Cornish is not acting for and will not be responsible to any other persons for providing protections afforded to customers of Beaumont Cornish nor for advising them in relation to the proposed arrangements described in this announcement or any matter referred to in it.
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