TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Greenland Resources Inc. (Cboe CA: MOLY | FSE: M0LY) (“Greenland Resources” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it submitted to the Greenland Minerals Licenses and Safety Authority an updated version of the Environmental Impact Assessment (the “EIA”) for the Malmbjerg Molybdenum Project in east Greenland (the “Project”) authored by WSP Danmark A/S.
The updated EIA incorporates the new legal provisions set under the Mining Act that came into effect in January 1, 2024 as well as numerous current studies and empirical results highlighted below. Although the EIA is not part of the requirements to obtain an exploitation license under the new Mining Act (where the Company expects positive news soon), it remains an important regulatory and industry requirement to advance towards production.
Executive Chairman Dr. Ruben Shiffman noted, “We have invested a great deal of care in the environmental aspects of our mine design. While most of the existing mines are old and have large environmental bonds posted with regulators due to more stringent current environmental rules than in the past; offer lower quality product and are far away from the EU (the 2nd largest Mo and Mg user where EU has no extraction), our Project offers high quality product, a new mine design, no environmental liabilities, and high sustainability with lower CO2 vs existing mines in a like-minded EU associate country”.
Highlights of the updated version include:
- On environmental impacts of the Project, using an assessment risk scale of very low, low, medium and high, sixteen out of nineteen environmental impacts analyzed are assessed to be low or very low and four medium. On environmental risks due to accidents and natural disasters, all three risks analyzed which include risk of tailings disposal from the Tailings Management Facility (TMF), contamination of land and fresh water and contamination of the sea due to shipping accidents are assessed to be of low environmental risk.
- Results from an updated independent TMF feasibility study (2024) that among others, determine the dam classification risk factor under the Canadian Dam Association (CDA) guidelines. CDA guidelines rank in severity from Low, Significant, High, Very High to Extreme potential losses, including catastrophic scenarios, under four areas (population, life, environmental and cultural, infrastructure and economics). The proposed contained TMF was assigned a Low Dam Classification risk in all four areas under CDA.
- Conclusions of a six-month study on saturated columns testing and water quality predictions studies for the TMF supernatant concentrations (from the concentrator to before the discharge into the TMF, while in the TMF and in any potential dilution zone) over the life of mine to be below water quality guidelines.
- A prefeasibility study on renewable energy generation to power a significant part of the energy required in the Project using wind and solar energy. This adds to the significant decarbonization achieved with the proposed aerial conveyor that transports downhill 35,000 tonnes per day of ore from the mine to the concentrator, producing no CO2 and generating electricity through regenerative braking.
- Results from the Project’s sustainability report published in 2024 that among others estimates the Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions of the Project ranking it 35% lower of CO2-eq/lb Mo emissions vs comparable mines under the current NI 43-101 Feasibility Study scenario and 73% lower CO2-eq/lb Mo emissions using the renewable scenario of wind and solar energy.
- Results of a technical report on a Malmbjerg dust dispersion model showing that Total Suspended Particulate concentrations for regulated metals using geostatistical methods and a 90th percentile confidence interval scaling method within a 10km project area radius, to be below the regulatory metal criteria concentrations.
- Estimations of salinities and fresh water supply in the project area; an updated closure plan; a mitigation plan for rock storage facilities a review of various alternative TMF options and locations and conclusions on the preferred TMF.
Qualified Person Statement
The news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Jim Steel, P.Geo., M.B.A. a Qualified Person as defined by Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 43-101 “Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects”.
Greenland Resources Inc.
Greenland Resources is a Canadian public company with the Ontario Securities Commission as its principal regulator and is focused on the development of its 100% owned Climax type primary molybdenum deposit located in central east Greenland. The Project has copper and also magnesium, a market dominated 98% by China. The Malmbjerg molybdenum project is an open pit operation with an environmentally friendly mine design focused on reduced water usage, low aquatic disturbance and low footprint due to modularized infrastructure. The Malmbjerg project benefits from an NI 43-101 Definitive Feasibility Study completed by Tetra Tech in 2022, with an US$820 million capex and a levered after-tax IRR of 33.8% and payback of 2.4 years, using US$18 per pound molybdenum price. The Proven and Probable Reserves are 245 million tonnes at 0.176% MoS2, for 571 million pounds of contained molybdenum metal. As the high-grade molybdenum is mined for the first half of the mine life, the average annual production for years one to ten is 32.8 million pounds per year of contained molybdenum metal at an average grade of 0.23% MoS2, approximately 25% of EU total yearly consumption. The project had a previous exploitation license granted in 2009. With offices in Toronto, the Company is led by a management team with an extensive track record in the mining industry and capital markets. For further details, please refer to our web site (www.greenlandresources.ca) and our Canadian regulatory filings on Greenland Resources’ profile at www.sedarplus.com.
The Project is supported by the European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA). ERMA is managed by EIT RawMaterials, an organization within the EIT, a body of the European Union.
About Molybdenum and the European Union
Molybdenum is a critical metal used mainly in steel and chemicals that is needed in all technologies in the upcoming green energy transition. When added to steel and cast iron, it enhances strength, hardenability, weldability, toughness, temperature strength, and corrosion resistance. Based on data from the International Molybdenum Association and the European Commission Steel Report, the world produced around 576 million pounds of molybdenum in 2021 where the European Union (“EU”) as the second largest steel producer in the world used approximately 24% of global molybdenum supply and has no domestic molybdenum production. To a greater degree, the EU steel dependent industries like the automotive, construction, and engineering, represent around 18% of the EU’s ≈ US$16 trillion GDP. Greenland Resources strategically located Malmbjerg molybdenum project has the potential to supply in and for the EU approximately 25% of the EU consumption, of environmentally friendly high-quality molybdenum from a responsible EU Associate country, for decades to come. The high quality of the Malmbjerg ore, having low impurity content in phosphorus, tin, antimony, and arsenic, makes it an ideal source of molybdenum for the high-performance steel industry lead worldwide by Europe, specifically the Scandinavian countries and Germany.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking information" (also referred to as "forward looking statements"), which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management’s current expectations and assumptions. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "hopes", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information in this news release relate to, among other things: the Company’s objectives, goals or future plans; planned capex financing and outcomes of due diligence reviews; construction and engineering initiatives for the Malmbjerg molybdenum project; statements, exploration results, potential mineralization, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, and their valuation, exploration and mine development plans, timing of the commencement of operations and estimates of market conditions.
These forward-looking statements and information reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include: future planned development and other activities on the Project; favourable outcomes of due diligence reviews; planned energy requirements of the Project; obtaining the permitting on the Project in a timely manner; no adverse changes to the planned operations of the Project; continued favourable relationships with local communities; current EU and other initiatives remaining in place into the future; expected demand for molybdenum in the EU and abroad, including by companies that expressed an interest in purchasing molybdenum; our mineral reserve estimates and the assumptions upon which they are based, including geotechnical and metallurgical characteristics of rock confirming to sampled results and metallurgical performance; tonnage of ore to be mined and processed; ore grades and recoveries; assumptions and discount rates being appropriately applied to the technical studies; estimated valuation and probability of success of the Company’s projects, including the Malmbjerg molybdenum project; prices for molybdenum remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; availability of funds for the Company’s projects; capital decommissioning and reclamation estimates; mineral reserve and resource estimates and the assumptions upon which they are based; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); no labour-related disruptions; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled construction and production; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals are received in a timely manner or at all; and the ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.
The Company cautions the reader that forward-looking statements and information include known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the favourable results of the SIA (Social Impact Assessment) and EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment); favourable local community support for the Project’s development; the projected demand for molybdenum both in the EU and elsewhere, including by companies that expressed an interest in purchasing molybdenum; the current initiatives and programs for resource development in the EU and abroad; the projected and actual status of supply chains, labour market, currency and commodity prices interest rates and inflation; the projected and actual status of the global and Canadian capital markets, fluctuations in molybdenum and commodity prices; fluctuations in prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar versus the Euro); operational risks and hazards inherent with the business of mining (including environmental accidents and hazards, industrial accidents, equipment breakdown, unusual or unexpected geological or structure formations, cave-ins, flooding and severe weather); inadequate insurance, or the inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks and hazards; our ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner; changes in laws, regulations and government practices in Greenland, including environmental, export and import laws and regulations; legal restrictions relating to mining; risks relating to expropriation; increased competition in the mining industry for equipment and qualified personnel; the availability of additional capital; title matters and the additional risks identified in our filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ in Canada (available at www.sedarplus.ca). Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described, or intended. Investors are cautioned against undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by applicable securities regulations, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update the forward-looking information. Neither the Cboe Canada Exchange nor its regulation services provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
