Energy Transition Minerals Ltd focuses on exploring and developing mineral projects that are critical to a low-carbon future.
Energy Transition Minerals Ltd (formerly Greenland Minerals Limited) is an ASX-listed company, ASX:ETM. The Company aims to develop mineral projects to meet the growing need for critical materials vital to global decarbonisation and the accelerating transition to renewable energy systems.
The Company’s two current projects, the Kvanefjeld rare earth project in southern Greenland and the Villasrubias lithium project in Spain, aim to meet this increasing demand.
The Kvanefjeld project
Energy Transition Minerals has focused on developing the 100%-owned Kvanefjeld project since 2007. Kvanefjeld is one of the world’s largest and most important undeveloped mineral projects; however, it can potentially be a significant world-class supplier of rare earths, particularly the group of ‘magnet metals’ (neodymium, praseodymium, terbium, and dysprosium). These elements are critical to an energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable future.
The Kvanefjeld project has an established (JORC 2012 compliant) mineral resource of more than one billion tonnes, within which is an ore reserve of 108 million tonnes, sufficient to sustain a 37-year mine life. The Company has completed a successful feasibility study, including several optimisation studies and environmental and social impact assessments, which indicate that this mineral project meets nearly all of the statutory requirements for an exploitation (mining) licence.
Kvanefjeld offers a new, more straightforward path to rare earth production – conventional mineral flotation followed by an atmospheric leach and solvent extraction. The high temperatures and pressures are not required to treat the more common refractory ores. Moreover, the project also has the benefit of producing saleable by-products, contributing to low production costs.
The Kvanefjeld project provides an excellent opportunity to develop a large, stable source of rare earths that customers can rely on for long-term secure supply that will be independent of the traditional supply chain. The project, if developed, has the potential to deliver significant economic and social dividends to Greenland and its people and underpin the country’s desire to achieve complete independence from Denmark.
The Villasrubias project
On 14 July 2022, Energy Transition Metals announced that it had entered into a binding head of agreement with Technology Metals Europe SL (‘TME SL’) and its sole shareholder Welsbach Holdings Pte Ltd, for the right to earn-in a 51% interest in TME SL. TME SL is the sole owner of an exploration permit in Spain prospective for lithium, known as the Villasrubias project.
The Villasrubias project is a historic aplite and pegmatite mining district known for producing tin alongside feldspar and quartz. Mapping and sampling by the Company and work carried out previously by the Sociedad de Investigacion y Explotacion Minera de Castilla Y Leon, an entity sponsored by the regional government of Castilla y Leon, has identified lithium minerals associated with pegmatites at the surface, alongside elevated lithium, tin, niobium, and tantalum.
Exploration activity at Villasrubias started in December 2022, including a drone aeromagnetic and electromagnetic survey and a very low-frequency electromagnetic tomography survey. Exploration activity also included geological mapping, sampling, and trenching to identify the extension of pegmatite bodies. A drill campaign commenced in March 2023, with a follow-up second drill programme scheduled in the second half of 2023. The results of these exploration efforts will be shared as they become available.
ETM’s main aims
Energy Transition Metals remains committed to the development of the Kvanefjeld project and looks forward to working with the Government of Greenland on viable development paths. Exploration and evaluation work on the Villasrubias lithium project will continue following the high-impact drilling programme that commenced in March 2023.
The Company has been actively reviewing opportunities to acquire new technology metals projects to increase the Company’s asset portfolio, provided it creates shareholder value.
Areas of expertise
- Rare Earth mining, processing, and production;
- Heavy rare earths;
- Lithium; and
- Financing ability.
