MONTRÉAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / January 4, 2021 / Critical Elements Lithium Corporation (the "Corporation" or "Critical Elements") (TSXV:CRE)(OTCQX:CRECF)(FSE:F12) is pleased to announce it has engaged Cantor Fitzgerald Canada Corporation ("Cantor Fitzgerald") to pursue, engage and evaluate global strategic partners and investors to advance the Rose Project to production, and will receive fees contingent upon the successful completion of such financing transactions.
"With banking and institutional sales professionals located across the Americas, Europe and Asia, Cantor Fitzgerald brings significant mining and minerals experience and a global full-service investment banking suite that can assist us throughout the process of evaluating our alternatives and pursuing a thoughtful path forward," stated Jean-Sebastian Lavallée, Critical Elements' Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to working with the experienced Cantor Fitzgerald team as we prudently evaluate the strategic alternatives available to us."
Critical Elements' President, Dr. Steffen Haber, reiterated the Corporation's vision to become a large responsible supplier of lithium to the flourishing electric vehicle and energy storage systems industries. "Our Rose Project features one of the purest lithium deposits globally. Quebec is strategically well-positioned regarding the critical transitioning energy and e-mobility markets in Europe and the United States and boasts excellent infrastructure and human capital. Our cooperative relationship with the Cree Nation of Eastmain, the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee), and the Cree Nation Government has been formalized through the Pikhuutaau Agreement signed in July 2019. We are excited by the anticipated receipt of Provincial and National Phase 1 permitting, detailed engineering and financing for the construction of the Rose mine and concentrator, and the delivery of engineering studies for Phase II (a chemical plant for conversion of Rose spodumene concentrate to high quality lithium hydroxide for use in lithium-ion batteries). We believe that Cantor Fitzgerald is ideally suited and motivated to work with us to embrace the opportunities apparent in today's markets to maximize shareholder value."
About Critical Elements Lithium Corporation
Primero Group recently completed the first phase of its Early Contractor Involvement agreement with the Corporation and provided a Guaranteed Maximum Price for the engineering, procurement and construction of the wholly-owned Rose Lithium-Tantalum project on a lump sum turnkey basis that is in line with the Project's feasibility study published November 29, 2017. The project feasibility study is based on price forecasts of US $750/tonne for chemical-grade lithium concentrate (5% Li2O), US $1,500/tonne for technical-grade lithium concentrate (6% Li2O) and US $130/kg for Ta2O5 in tantalite concentrate, and an exchange rate of US $0.75/CA $. The internal rate of return ("IRR") for the Rose Lithium-Tantalum project is estimated at 34.9% after tax, and net present value ("NPV") is estimated at CA $726 million at an 8% discount rate. The estimated payback period is 2.8 years. The pre-tax IRR for the Rose Lithium-Tantalum Project is estimated at 48.2% and the pre-tax NPV at CA $1,257 million at an 8% discount rate (see press release dated September 6, 2017). The financial analysis is based on the Indicated mineral resource. An Indicated mineral resource is that part of a mineral resource for which quantity, grade or quality, densities, shape and physical characteristics can be estimated with a level of confidence sufficient to allow the appropriate application of technical and economic parameters, to support mine planning and evaluation of the economic viability of the deposit. The life-of-mine (LOM) plan provides for the extraction of 26.8 million tonnes of ore, 182.4 million tonnes of waste, and 11.0 million tonnes of overburden for a total of 220.2 million tonnes of material. The average stripping ratio is 7.2 tonnes per tonne of ore. The nominal production rate is estimated at 4,600 tonnes per day, with 350 operating days per year. The open pit mining schedule allows for a 17-year mine life. The mine will produce a total of 26.8 million tonnes of ore grading an average of 0.85% Li2O and 133 ppm Ta2O5, including dilution. The mill will process 1.61 million tonnes of ore per year to produce an annual average of 236,532 tonnes of technical and chemical grade spodumene concentrate and 429 tonnes of tantalite concentrate.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jean-Sébastien Lavallée, P.Geo.
Chief Executive Officer
819-354-5146
[email protected]
www.cecorp.ca
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SOURCE: Critical Elements Lithium Corporation