News and information about EMN and the EV & Battery industries September 2021 | Vol. 01
KEEPING YOU INFORMED AND UP TO DATE
A message from Ron Shewchuk, EMN Director of Communications
Welcome to the first edition of Euro Manganese Update. You are receiving this newsletter because you are on our mailing list, and we are grateful for your ongoing interest in EMN. We use this channel almost exclusively for sharing formal announcements, but they do not tell the full story of our company and its flagship Chvaletice Manganese Project. With this new digital publication, we will be able to share more, including photos and videos. We will also include relevant industry news and facts about high purity manganese, an essential ingredient in the lithium-ion batteries used in most electric vehicles. We would love to hear what you think of our new newsletter. Any feedback on how we can make it a better experience for you is greatly appreciated. You can reach me directly at ron@mn25.ca or send a note to info@mn25.ca.
Cheers,
Ron Shewchuk
SECTION 1
EMN and The Chvaletice Manganese Project
TOP STORY
In the latest Market One investor update video from Euro Manganese CEO Marco Romero talks about the progress made at our Chvaletice Manganese Project in the Czech Republic, and how the company is on track to become Europe’s only primary producer of battery-grade manganese to serve the EU’s rapidly growing electric vehicle industry.
It’s an exciting time for Euro Manganese.
FEATURED PHOTO ALBUM- Demonstration Plant Components
Fabrication work for our Chvaletice Manganese Project’s Demonstration Plant (DP) is essentially complete. The DP replicates the entire process flowsheet of the proposed Chvaletice commercial plant.
Once the plant’s interconnected modules are assembled and tested at a facility in Changsha, China, they will be shipped to the Chvaletice site in the Czech Republic for final installation, commissioning, operator training, and production start-up in early 2022. See below for a selection of photos of newly fabricated components of the DP. Visit this link on our website to see the entire album and other project photos.
COMPANY NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
EMN Shares Financial and Operational Highlights
August 16, 2021 - Euro Manganese Inc. filed its third-quarter financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis (“MD&A”) and provided the financial and operating highlights for the quarter.
Euro Manganese Secures Extension of Chvaletice Development Rights to 2026
July 20, 2021 -Euro Manganese Inc. is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Mangan Chvaletice s.r.o., (“Mangan”) has been granted extensions of its exclusive resource development rights related to the Company’s Chvaletice Manganese Project.
Euro Manganese Announces CEO Succession Plan
June 16, 2021 - The Board of Directors of Euro Manganese announced that it will begin the implementation of a CEO succession plan. A search has begun for a new Chief Executive Officer to carry the Company, as it transitions from a development company to an operating company. Marco Romero, the founder of the Company and its current CEO, will remain in the CEO position until a successor is identified and appointed, and plans to remain with the Company in a new role to help the EMN achieve its key goals and to pursue opportunities beyond the advancement of the Chvaletice Manganese Project.
Euro Manganese Shares Begin Trading on OTCQX under Symbol EUMNF
June 15, 2021 -Effective June 15, 2021, the Company’s common shares began trading on the OTCQX Best Market (“OTCQX”) under the symbol “EUMNF”.
Euro Manganese to Restart Pilot Plant in Response to Prospective Customers
June 14, 2021 - Euro Manganese Inc. is pleased to announce its plan to restart its pilot plant to produce high-purity manganese samples for prospective customers.
Euro Manganese Provides an Update on Chvaletice Manganese Project
May 23, 2021 -Euro Manganese Inc. is pleased to provide an update on its proposed Chvaletice Manganese Project following the successful close of the second tranche of the Company’s oversubscribed private placement of AUD$30 million.
EIT InnoEnergy to Support Chvaletice Manganese Project
Feb 22, 2021 - Euro Manganese and its wholly-owned Czech Republic subsidiary, Mangan Chvaletice, have secured the support of EIT InnoEnergy, a Knowledge and Innovation Community supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.
EMN TEAM UPDATES
In the video below, Wenling Sun, Strategic Director for China and Project Manager of EMN demonstration plant, talks about the Chvaletice Manganese Project and her work with one of the world's leading research institutes, Changsha Research Institute for Mining and Metallurgy (CRIMM).
In this on-site report from the Czech Republic, Environmental Manager Blanka Dobrkovska shares an update on the Project’s groundwater monitoring program.
EMN IN THE MEDIA
Euro Manganese is featured in a recent edition of EME Outlook magazine. The article explores the potential of our proposed Chvaletice Manganese Project in helping fulfill the European Union’s vision of decarbonization, a circular economy, and a strong local battery supply chain, and profiles Jan Votava, Managing Director of EMN’s Czech operation.
💡DID YOU KNOW?
Manganese is electric!
Batteries are the costliest component of an electric vehicle, accounting for around half of the cost of an EV and about 30% of the cost to the consumer. Most European and North American automakers require high purity manganese (HPM) in their electric vehicle batteries and yet the HPM production is less than 100 kt per annum or 0.5% of the global market. It is the least expensive battery raw material in nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cathodes for electric vehicle batteries, accounting for only 1-2 % of the battery cost. Manganese can help to lower the cost of batteries and EVs.
SECTION 2
High Purity Manganese Market: Trends and Industry Insights
SOCIAL MEDIA ROUNDUP
Here’s a selection of EMN social media posts that track industry developments since the beginning of 2021.
Jan 2021 - The European Commission approved a second Important Project of CommonEuropean Interest to support research and innovation in the battery value chain
Feb 2021 - Webcasts from Battery Materials Review offer a great introduction to lithium-ion batteries and raw battery materials. Find parts one, two, and three for the webcast here.
March 2021 - The number of electric vehicles available to customers across Europe is expected to triple in 2021 compared with 2019, according to the European Federation for Transport & Environment.
March 2021 - EV battery megafactories are springing up across the globe at an accelerated pace, a trend dramatically illustrated below in this animated graphic from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.
April 2021 - Joe Lowry, one of the world’s leading lithium market experts & host of the #GlobalLithiumPodcast, shares his thoughts on the growing gap between the lagging supply of battery raw materials and growing global demand.
July 2021 - The European Commission’s ambitious and sweeping plan to address climate change will have ramifications around the world. Called “Fit for 55,” it aims to reduce CO2 emissions 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels
July 2021 - The Czech government has approved a memorandum with the country's energy company, CEZ, to build a gigafactory in Europe, where it will mainly produce batteries for electric vehicles.
August 2021 - The White House unveiled “draft mandates and aspirational targets aimed at drastically cutting vehicle carbon emissions and accelerating the shift to electric models."
Jan-August 2021 - In the past year, some prominent OEMs have announced their strategic plans for electrification by incorporating new production goals, sales targets and introducing new models. Here's a summary of who's doing what, and when for different automakers:
General Motors | Nissan| Ford | Volkswagen | Honda | Mercedes
August 2021 - In a recent nature.com feature article about the electrification of personal mobility, senior reporter Davide Castelvecchi says that as the world becomes dominated by EVs, materials scientists need to reconcile two major challenges concerned with scarce metals and battery recycling & efficiency.
August 2021 - InvestorIntel Corp.reports that global sales of electric vehicles surged 2.5x from June 2020 to June 2021, achieving an 8.7% market share. During the same period, Europe’s EV market share rose from 8.2% to a record 19%, while China’s increased from 5.5% to 15%. These results demonstrate the inexorable market penetration of electric vehicles and their progress toward widespread adoption.
August 2021 - In the week ended Friday, Aug 13, Electrolytic manganese metal or EMM (99.7% Mn) prices hit record highs in both Europe and the United States, breaking above US$5000/tonne, according to Fastmarkets MB, a global commodity price reporting and intelligence service.
FEATURED INDUSTRY VIDEO
The future of manganese is bright, according to one of the global auto industry’s leading battery experts. In this short video clip, Volkswagen Auto Group's Frank Blome, who heads the company's Battery Centre for Excellence, talks about how manganese can lower the cost of lithium-ion EV batteries. Excerpted from Stanford University's StorageX International Symposium on June 4, 2021. Click here to view an excerpt featuring Mr. Blome’s comments on manganese, and here to see the entire presentation from the symposium.
OTHER INDUSTRY VIDEOS OF INTEREST
In recent months, Volkswagen Auto Group and Stellantis staged high-profile online events to share their ambitious electrification plans, and both highlighted manganese as an important part of their future.
Below is an excerpt from the VW power day presentation in March 2021, and you can view the full event here.
Stellantis highlighted its battery chemistry strategy - which includes manganese - in its EV Day 2021 event in July. View the full event here.
MEGA TREND
Euro Manganese’s proposed Chvaletice Manganese Project in the Czech Republic stands to become Europe’s only primary producer of high purity manganese and help bridge the gap between supply and fast-growing demand. These two charts tell the story.
High Purity Manganese Sulphate Monohydrate (HPMSM) Demand & Supply to 2030
HPMSM is the manganese product used by most lithium-ion battery makers and will account for approximately 2/3 of Chvaletice production.
High Purity Electrolytic Manganese Metal (HPEMM) Demand & Supply to 2030
HPEMM is used by some battery producers who prefer to make their own HPMSM, and will account for approximately 1/3 of Chvaletice production.
💡DID YOU KNOW?
Over 75% of today's manganese ore production is mined in four countries: Australia, China, Gabon, and South Africa.
Over 90% of the world’s refined, high-purity, or battery-grade manganese products are produced in China.
In 2020 nearly half the world’s lithium-ion batteries had the NMC (nickel, manganese, and cobalt) cathode chemistry. This percentage is expected to grow to 60%+ by 2025. Manganese is by far the lowest cost metal in NMC batteries. By using more manganese and less cobalt or nickel, one can lower the cost of batteries and electric vehicles.
Please let us know how we can improve the Euro Manganese Update by sending a note to info@mn25.ca. Your feedback will help us determine what features to add and how we can make our newsletter better for you. For additional information on our efforts to become Europe’s leading producer of sustainably sourced high purity manganese, view our corporate presentation:https://bit.ly/3du8TP8
