Off-Take Sales Agreements in Place for 100%
of Initial Planned Annual Production of 12,500 MT
Construction and Customer Sample Preparation
Continues at the Kellyton Natural Graphite Anode Materials Plant
with Over $120 Million Invested to Date
Westwater Resources, Inc. (NYSE American: WWR), an energy
technology and battery-grade natural graphite development company
(“Westwater” or the “Company”), is pleased to announce its updates
for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.
2024 Second Quarter Highlights
During the second quarter, Westwater achieved critical
milestones related to its natural graphite business, notably:
- In July, Westwater announced a binding Off-Take Agreement with
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (“FCA”), part of the Stellantis group of
companies.
- 100% of planned Phase I battery anode material production now
under off-take agreements.
- Continued Phase I construction at the Kellyton Graphite Plant
deploying approximately $120 million since inception of the
project.
- During the second quarter, Westwater began installing its
qualification line at the Kellyton Graphite Plant. The
qualification line will be utilized to prepare larger bulk samples
of CSPG for customer qualification. The qualification line is
expected to produce battery anode material in 5 to 10 mt (or
larger) batches.
“Westwater’s continued progress is significant and our recently
announced second off-take sales contract with a major global
automotive OEM, positions us to complete the Kellyton debt
financing. We are in active discussions with multiple lenders and
expect to be able to update investors shortly on our continued
progress,” said Terence J. Cryan, Westwater’s Executive Chairman.
“We are particularly proud of the strong performance from our Team
at Westwater which this year has also achieved a 25% increase in
anticipated Phase I production volumes while staying on budget
which improved already attractive project economics.”
“Westwater is the only U.S. based natural graphite company that
has a processing facility under construction, that has multi-year
off-take agreements for CSPG, and that has a graphite deposit in
the same state as its future processing plant,” said Frank Bakker,
Westwater’s President, and CEO. “The accomplishments of the
Westwater team positions us well for success.”
Recent Government Regulation of Graphite Products
On May 3, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (the
“Treasury Department”) adopted final regulations related to the
Clean Vehicle Tax credit of $7,500. The final rules put into effect
the guidance previously provided in December 2023. The final rules
prohibit battery parts and critical minerals from “excluded
entities” – defined as foreign entities of concern, or FEOCs – from
qualifying for the Federal Clean Vehicle Tax credit. Under the
regulations, the People’s Republic of China is identified as an
FEOC. The final FEOC battery component rules are important to
Westwater because, beginning in 2027, any electric vehicle whose
batteries contain graphite that was extracted or processed in any
way, and to any degree, by an FEOC – including China – will be
ruled ineligible for the federal electric vehicle tax credit.
Westwater is not an FEOC and intends to produce battery grade
graphite in the United States for lithium-ion batteries to be used
in electric vehicles in the United States. Management believes its
future production of battery-graphite products will meet the
domestic content requirements of the IRA, which we anticipate will
provide indirect future benefit to the Company.
Qualification Line at Kellyton Graphite Plant
During the second quarter, Westwater began installing its
qualification line at the Kellyton Graphite Plant. The
qualification line will be utilized to prepare larger bulk samples
of CSPG for customer qualification. The qualification line is
expected to produce CSPG in 5 to 10 mt (or larger) batches. To
speed the qualification process, Westwater has taken a dual
approach to qualification of the CSPG. During Westwater’s pilot
program, smaller sample sizes were prepared utilizing the Company’s
equipment suppliers, which suppliers utilized the same technology
and scale equipment as Westwater had purchased for use in the
Kellyton Graphite Plant. Westwater is now installing such equipment
at the Kellyton site. The qualification line is expected to be
operational in the fourth quarter of 2024 and is expected to
produce approximately 1 mt per day of CSPG.
Westwater anticipates utilizing the qualification line to supply
future bulk samples, which will be representative of mass
production materials because the equipment, and underlying
technologies used to produce the samples, are representative of the
full-scale production processes.
Financial Update
Westwater continues its efforts to secure debt financing to fund
the approximately $150 million balance of the $271 million
estimated capital costs to complete construction of Phase I of the
Kellyton Graphite Plant. We are currently in process of negotiating
with lenders a binding term sheet for that debt financing,
supported by the two off-take agreements previously announced.
Westwater has invested approximately $120.4 million since beginning
construction of Phase I of the Kellyton Graphite Plant.
“Following the second off-take agreement, we are making
significant progress with lenders on a debt financing,” said Steve
Cates, Westwater’s Chief Financial Officer and SVP – Finance. “As
the domestic EV battery anode market develops within the U.S.,
having our two off-take agreements in place is a critical step in
the process for securing debt financing. Westwater remains focused
on securing the project debt financing to complete construction of
Phase I at the Kellyton Graphite Plant.”
As of June 30, 2024, Westwater had a cash balance of $3.2
million. Subsequent to the end of the second quarter, Westwater
took advantage of two opportunities to raise non-dilutive capital
totaling $1.5 million resulting in a cash balance of approximately
$3.2 million on August 12, 2024.
In advance of completing the debt financing to complete Phase I
at Kellyton, we are managing our liquidity carefully to avoid
unnecessary dilution and have an At The Market (ATM) equity
facility, as well as a fully negotiated Equity Line of Credit
(ELOC) facility available to ensure we maintain sufficient
liquidity going forward.
Further discussion of our financial results for the second
quarter can be found in Westwater’s Form 10-Q filed on August 14,
2024.
Conference Call
Management will host a conference call to provide a business
update to investors the week of September 2, 2024. Conference call
date, time, and other details will be provided in advance of the
call.
About Westwater Resources, Inc.
Westwater Resources, Inc. (NYSE American: WWR), an energy
technology company, is focused on developing battery-grade natural
graphite. The Company’s primary project is the Kellyton Graphite
Plant that is under construction in east-central Alabama. In
addition, the Company’s Coosa Graphite Deposit is the most advanced
natural flake graphite deposit in the contiguous United States and
located across 41,965 acres (~17,000 hectares) in Coosa County,
Alabama. For more information, visit
www.westwaterresources.net.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and
assumptions and are identified by words such as "expects,"
"estimates," “future,” “planned,” “intends,” "projects,"
"anticipates," "believes," "could," “scheduled,” “targets” and
other similar words. Forward looking statements include, among
other things, statements concerning: off-take agreements with
customers; Westwater’s future sales of CSPG products to customers,
including the amounts, timing, and types of products included
within those sales; possible off-take agreements with other
customers; potential debt financing arrangements; the anticipated
annual production from Phase I of Kellyton Graphite Plan; the
construction and operation of the Kellyton Graphite Plant and its
qualification line, the Company’s Coosa Graphite Deposit; and the
costs, schedules, production and economic projections associated
with them. The Company cautions that there are factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking
information that has been provided. The reader is cautioned not to
put undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is
not a guarantee of future performance and is subject to a number of
uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the
control of the Company; accordingly, there can be no assurance that
such suggested results will be realized. The following factors, in
addition to those discussed in Westwater’s Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and subsequent
securities filings, could cause actual results to differ materially
from management expectations as suggested by such forward-looking
information: (a) the spot price and long‑term contract price of
graphite (both flake graphite feedstock and purified graphite
products) and vanadium, and the world-wide supply and demand of
graphite and vanadium; (b) the effects, extent and timing of the
entry additional competition in the markets in which we operate;
(c) our ability to obtain and to manage our contracts or other
agreements with customers; (d) available sources and transportation
of graphite feedstock; (e) the ability to control costs and avoid
cost and schedule overruns during the development, construction and
operation of the Kellyton Graphite Plant; (f) the ability to
construct and operate the Kellyton Graphite Plant in accordance
with the requirements of permits and licenses and the requirements
of tax credits and other incentives; (g) effects of inflation,
including labor shortages and supply chain disruptions; (h) rising
interest rates and the associated impact on the availability and
cost of financing sources; (i) the availability and supply of
equipment and materials needed to construct the Kellyton Graphite
Plant; (j) stock price volatility; (k) government regulation of the
mining and manufacturing industries in the United States; (l)
unanticipated geological, processing, regulatory and legal or other
problems we may encounter; (m) the results of our exploration
activities at the Coosa Graphite Deposit, and the possibility that
future exploration results may be materially less promising than
initial exploration results; (n) any graphite or vanadium
discoveries at the Coosa Graphite Deposit not being in high enough
concentration to make it economic to extract the minerals; (o) our
ability to finance growth plans; (p) our ability to obtain and
maintain rights of ownership or access to our mining properties;
(q) currently pending or new litigation or arbitration; (r) our
ability to maintain and timely receive mining, manufacturing, and
other permits from regulatory agencies; and (s) other factors which
are more fully described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K,
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other filings with the SEC.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240815415259/en/
Westwater Resources, Inc. Email:
Info@WestwaterResources.net
Investor Relations Email:
Investorrelations@westwaterresources.net
Grafico Azioni Westwater Resources (AMEX:WWR)
Storico
Da Ott 2024 a Nov 2024
Grafico Azioni Westwater Resources (AMEX:WWR)
Storico
Da Nov 2023 a Nov 2024
