Almonty Industries Inc. (“Almonty” or the
“Company”) (TSX: AII / ASX: AII / OTCQX: ALMTF / Frankfurt:
1MR) is pleased to announce an update in relation to the KfW
US$75.1 million loan facility.
Almonty advises that it is in receipt of the completion of
conditions precedent letter from KfW. Almonty has now satisfied all
of the 110 conditions precedent.
Once the balance of the equity has been transferred to the loan
account held in Korea by Almonty Korea Tungsten Company (AKTC) and
the payment of various financing fees is completed, which are
customary to project finance lending, the bank can then move to
issuing the drawdown letter and the first drawdown will
commence.
Almonty’s Chairman, President and CEO Lewis Black commented:
“This is a monumental occasion for Almonty and its shareholders,
with the drawdown of the KfW US$75.1 million loan now imminent
after approximately five years of hard work, due diligence and
co-operation by all stakeholders.
The completion of the loan for US$75.1 million from KfW means
that the largest tungsten mine outside of China, with one of the
highest grades in the world and located in South Korea, the largest
per capita user of Tungsten globally, is now positioned to complete
construction as intended.
I firmly believe this has been worth the effort and patience
required by shareholders, with the KfW loan facility attracting
very low interest rates, with an all-in cost expected to be
approximately 2-3%. The quality of the lender and their ongoing
support for our continued growth will be a decisive factor for
Almonty’s continued success and will allow us to respond to the
changing demand dynamics that we are now witnessing within the
technology sector.
The timing of the drawdown could not come at a better time from
a tungsten market perspective, with the tungsten price up 45% in
the past 12 months to US$338 per MTU, at a time when we are
experiencing increasing demand from sources outside of China,
particularly in the South Korean and EU semiconductor and battery
sectors.
We are currently approximately 15% through total construction of
Sangdong and now, with drawdown of the KfW loan, the Company can
accelerate construction towards commissioning which is on track for
Q4 CY 2022. Our underground development is over 27% complete and is
already 6 months ahead of schedule. I am immensely pleased that we
decided at Almonty to secure and fix pricing last year on much of
the equipment on order which has shielded us from more recent
inflationary equipment price rises.”
The general terms of the loan facility approved by the credit
committee of KfW-IPEX include:
- The principal amount of senior project finance loan to be
US$75.1 million;
- Interest rate -- three-month London interbank offered rate
(LIBOR), plus 2.5 per cent. LIBOR will be replaced by SOFR.
(Secured Overnight Financing Rate);
- Term of 6.25 years with an initial principal repayment holiday
during construction and quarterly instalment repayments of
principal commencing after the second anniversary of the initial
drawdown; and
- Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG (OeKB) is committed to
providing an import credit scheme cover guarantee based on the
previously announced long-term offtake agreement, which was issued
in February 2020.
About Almonty
The principal business of Toronto, Canada-based Almonty
Industries Inc. is the mining, processing and shipping of tungsten
concentrate from its Los Santos Mine in western Spain and its
Panasqueira mine in Portugal as well as the development of its
Sangdong tungsten mine in Gangwon Province, South Korea and the
development of the Valtreixal tin/tungsten project in north western
Spain. The Los Santos Mine was acquired by Almonty in September
2011 and is located approximately 50 kilometres from Salamanca in
western Spain and produces tungsten concentrate. The Panasqueira
mine, which has been in production since 1896, is located
approximately 260 kilometres northeast of Lisbon, Portugal, was
acquired in January 2016 and produces tungsten concentrate. The
Sangdong mine, which was historically one of the largest tungsten
mines in the world and one of the few long-life, high-grade
tungsten deposits outside of China, was acquired in September 2015
through the acquisition of a 100% interest in Woulfe Mining Corp.
Almonty owns 100% of the Valtreixal tin-tungsten project in north-
western Spain. Further information about Almonty’s activities may
be found at www.almonty.com and under Almonty’s profile at
www.sedar.com.
Legal Notice
The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in
certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore
persons in such jurisdictions into which this announcement is
released, published or distributed should inform themselves about
and observe such restrictions.
Neither the TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that
term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility
for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information
When used in this press release, the words “estimate”,
“project”, “belief”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “expect”, “plan”,
“predict”, “may” or “should” and the negative of these words or
such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to
identify forward-looking statements and information. These
statements and information are based on management’s beliefs,
estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and
reflect Almonty’s current expectations.
Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual
results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Almonty
to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: any
specific risks relating to fluctuations in the price of ammonium
para tungstate (“APT”) from which the sale price of Almonty’s
tungsten concentrate is derived, actual results of mining and
exploration activities, environmental, economic and political risks
of the jurisdictions in which Almonty’s operations are located and
changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined,
forecasts and assessments relating to Almonty’s business, credit
and liquidity risks, hedging risk, competition in the mining
industry, risks related to the market price of Almonty’s shares,
the ability of Almonty to retain key management employees or
procure the services of skilled and experienced personnel, risks
related to claims and legal proceedings against Almonty and any of
its operating mines, risks relating to unknown defects and
impairments, risks related to the adequacy of internal control over
financial reporting, risks related to governmental regulations,
including environmental regulations, risks related to international
operations of Almonty, risks relating to exploration, development
and operations at Almonty’s tungsten mines, the ability of Almonty
to obtain and maintain necessary permits, the ability of Almonty to
comply with applicable laws, regulations and permitting
requirements, lack of suitable infrastructure and employees to
support Almonty’s mining operations, uncertainty in the accuracy of
mineral reserves and mineral resources estimates, production
estimates from Almonty’s mining operations, inability to replace
and expand mineral reserves, uncertainties related to title and
indigenous rights with respect to mineral properties owned directly
or indirectly by Almonty, the ability of Almonty to obtain adequate
financing, the ability of Almonty to complete permitting,
construction, development and expansion, challenges related to
global financial conditions, risks related to future sales or
issuance of equity securities, differences in the interpretation or
application of tax laws and regulations or accounting policies and
rules and acceptance of the TSX of the listing of Almonty shares on
the TSX.
Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management
believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to, no
material adverse change in the market price of ammonium para
tungstate (APT), the continuing ability to fund or obtain funding
for outstanding commitments, expectations regarding the resolution
of legal and tax matters, no negative change to applicable laws,
the ability to secure local contractors, employees and assistance
as and when required and on
reasonable terms, and such other assumptions and factors as are
set out herein. Although Almonty has attempted to identify
important factors that could cause actual results, level of
activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from
those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other
factors that cause results, level of activity, performance or
achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There
can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to
be accurate and even if events or results described in the
forward-looking statements are realized or substantially realized,
there can be no assurance that they will have the expected
consequences to, or effects on, Almonty. Accordingly, readers
should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and
are cautioned that actual outcomes may vary.
Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to
forward-looking statements. Almonty cautions that the foregoing
list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on
Almonty’s forward-looking statements and information to make
decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the
foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events.
Almonty has also assumed that material factors will not cause
any forward-looking statements and information to differ materially
from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors
is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no
assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of
such items or factors.
THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS
RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF ALMONTY AS OF THE DATE OF
THIS PRESS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER
SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-
LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF
ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE ALMONTY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE
TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS
REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220207005130/en/
Lewis Black Chairman, President and CEO Telephone: +1 647
438-9766 Email: info@almonty.com
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