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in this announcement would have been deemed inside information for
the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 until the
release of this announcement
Bushveld
Minerals Limited
("Bushveld Minerals",
"Bushveld", "Company", or the "Group")
Turnaround Initiatives Underway
Bushveld Minerals
Limited (AIM: BMN), the primary
vanadium producer, announces that it has begun work on cost cutting initiatives
and development works to return the Company to profitability and
secure Bushveld's long-term future.
This decision is driven partly by
global market conditions, but also by the recent decision to focus
on our core operating asset, Vametco, while disposing of other
assets, including our downstream energy assets, the Mokopane
development project, and Vanchem.
On 2 September 2024, The Company
announced that it had received the US$10 million in matched funding
from OMF Fund III (F) Limited ("Orion") under a previously
announced agreement, providing the working capital to reduce
long outstanding creditor balances, and allowing
management to focus on reducing costs and sustainably increasing
current production rates at the Company's core asset - the Vametco
mine and production facility in South Africa.
Turnaround initiatives
The Company is pursuing a
multi-pronged approach to reducing costs and maintaining Vametco's
production, including the following:
· Reducing the current labour complement at both Vametco
and Head Office to ensure a fit for purpose structure enabling the
long term sustainability of Bushveld Minerals. In this
regard, and in line with the Section 189
process under the Labour Relations Act, 1995, notices will be issued to impacted employees at Vametco and
Head Office.
·
Reducing costs by transferring
purchases of certain goods and services to longer term contracts,
thereby fixing costs and providing opportunity to negotiate lower
prices with preferred OEM suppliers.
· Reducing raw material consumption by ensuring assets are
running efficiently according to OEM specifications.
·
Several initiatives for yield
improvements from kiln to finished goods, improving production on a
fixed cost base.
·
Increasing the capacity of the
Barren Dam at Vametco remains an important debottlenecking project
that will commence in Q1 2025.
In total the Company expects these
initiatives have the potential to achieve savings of US$8m-$10m on
an annualised basis by the end of 2025 materially reducing the cost
base at Vametco and ensuring its competitiveness as one of only
four primary vanadium facilities globally.
The Group will continue to
prioritise sales into higher value markets, such as nitro vanadium
in North America.
Craig Coltman CEO of Bushveld Minerals
commented:
"These initiatives are vital to ensure a sustainable long-term
business for the benefit of all stakeholders, from those that work
at and live near the mine, and to those that have provided the
vital funds required for Vametco to stay in business within this
prolonged, weak pricing environment."
Enquiries: info@Bushveldminerals.com
Bushveld Minerals Limited
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+27 (0) 11
268 6555
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Craig Coltman, Chief Executive Officer
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SP
Angel Corporate Finance LLP
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Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker
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+44 (0) 20
3470 0470
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Richard Morrison / Charlie
Bouverat
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Grant Barker / Abigail
Wayne
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Hannam & Partners
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Joint Broker
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+44 (0) 20
7907 8500
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Andrew Chubb / Matt
Hasson / Jay Ashfield
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Tavistock
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Financial PR
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+44 (0)
207 920 3150
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Gareth Tredway / Tara
Vivian-Neal / James Whitaker
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ABOUT BUSHVELD MINERALS LIMITED
Bushveld Minerals is a vertically
integrated primary vanadium producer, it is one of only three
operating primary vanadium producers. In 2022, the Company produced
more than 3,800 mtV, representing approximately three per cent of
the global vanadium market. With a diversified vanadium product
portfolio serving the needs of the steel, energy and chemical
sectors.
Detailed information on the Company
and progress to date can be accessed on the
website www.bushveldminerals.com