RBW Rainbow Rare Earths Limited

TIDMRBW

RNS Number : 8641Y

Rainbow Rare Earths Limited

19 January 2022

19 January 2022

Rainbow Rare Earths Limited

("Rainbow" or "the Company")

LSE: RBW

Rainbow's 70% share in Phalaborwa confirmed

Rainbow Rare Earths, the rare earths company with assets in South Africa and Burundi, today announces an amendment to the Agreement for Co-Development (the "Agreement") of the 38.3Mt Phalaborwa Rare Earths Project (the "Project" or "Joint Venture") with Bosveld Phosphates (Pty) Ltd ("Bosveld").

When the Joint Venture was announced in November 2020, a mechanism was included in the Agreement to allow for Rainbow's Joint Venture ownership to vary from 60% to 85%, dependent on results of the Pre-Feasibility Study. The amended agreement, signed on 18 January 2022, confirms Rainbow's shareholding in the Joint Venture at 70%, with the remaining 30% held by Bosveld. This amendment removes any downside uncertainty concerning the potential to dilute the Company's share within the Joint Venture, as well as assuring Rainbow's material share in future revenue.

Technical work carried out to date has confirmed an Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate at Phalaborwa of 38.3 million tonnes at 0.43% total rare earth oxides ("TREOs") contained within gypsum tailings stacked in unconsolidated dumps, derived from historic phosphate hard rock mining. High-value Neodymium ("Nd") and Praseodymium ("Pr") (together "NdPr") oxide represent 29.1% of the total contained rare earth oxides, with economic Dysprosium and Terbium oxide credits enhancing the overall value of the rare earth basket contained in the stacks [1] .

Metallurgical test work has confirmed that the phosphogypsum at Phalaborwa is amenable to direct leaching with acid to extract the contained rare earths. Utilising the technology exclusively licenced to the Company for Southern Africa from K-Technologies Inc. [2] Rainbow plans to deliver separated rare earth oxides at the Phalaborwa site, allowing the full value of the contained rare earth oxides to be realised for the benefit of shareholders.

Rainbow Rare Earths CEO, George Bennett, commented:

"This amendment serves to underscore our belief in the significant potential of the Phalaborwa rare earths Project and removes any uncertainty surrounding the benefit derived by Rainbow by fixing our majority shareholding at 70%. We are therefore delighted to have been able to cement the terms of our Joint Venture with Bosveld and together remain enormously encouraged by test-work carried out to date, which further underpin our confidence in achieving positive results from the Project.

Test work has indicated that the project has the capacity to be developed as a low capital, low operating cost asset with high yields, reaching producing stage on an accelerated timeline. This is due to the unique nature of the Project, with the rare earths contained in a 'cracked' chemical form in the phosphogypsum, requiring no significant costs associated with mining, crushing and grinding, or chemical cracking of the underlying rare earth minerals, which tend to form the majority of the cost base for traditional hard rock rare earth mining projects. The amendment reflects our confidence in the Project and is the next step in Rainbow's overarching strategy to become a globally significant producer of NdPr and Rare Earth Elements."

Market Abuse Regulation

This announcement contains inside information as defined in the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014, as amended, as it forms part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.

**ENDS**

For further information, please contact:

 
 Rainbow Rare Earths                        George Bennett 
  Ltd                            Company     Pete Gardner        +27 82 652 8526 
 SP Angel Corporate                         Ewan Leggat 
  Finance LLP                    Broker      Charlie Bouverat    +44 (0) 20 3470 0470 
 Flagstaff Strategic                         Tim Thompson        +44 (0) 207 129 1474 
  and Investor Communications                 Fergus Mellon       rainbowrareearths@flagstaffcomms.com 
 

Notes to Editors:

Rainbow Rare Earth's strategy is to become a globally significant producer of rare earth metals. Nd/Pr are vital components of the strongest permanent magnets used for the motors and turbines driving the green technology revolution. Analysts are predicting demand for magnet rare earth oxides will grow substantially over the coming years, driven by accelerating the adoption of green technology, pushing the overall market for Nd/Pr into deficit.

The Phalaborwa Rare Earths Project, located in South Africa, comprises an Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate of 38.3Mt at 0.43% total rare earths oxides ("TREO") contained within gypsum tailings stacked in unconsolidated dumps derived from historic phosphate hard rock mining. High value Nd/Pr oxide represent 29.1% of the total contained rare earth oxides, with economic Dysprosium and Terbium oxide credits enhancing the overall value of the rare earth basket contained in the stacks. The rare earths are contained in chemical form in the gypsum dumps, which is expected to deliver a higher-value rare earth carbonate, with lower operating costs than a typical rare earth mineral project.

The Company's Gakara Project in Burundi has produced one of the highest-grade concentrates in the world (typically 54% TREO) through trial mining operations. The Gakara basket is weighted heavily towards Nd/Pr, which account for over approximately 19.5% of the contained TREO and 85% of the value of the concentrate.

[1] Further information concerning the Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate is contained in the Company's announcement of 17 June 2021.

[2] Further information concerning the Exclusive licence for the SADC region granted to the Company by K-Technologies Inc. of Florida, USA, is contained in the Company's announcement of 20 September 2021.

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January 19, 2022 02:00 ET (07:00 GMT)

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