Highlights
- Mkango has signed a non-binding term sheet with CoTec Holdings Corp., an ESG-focused company investing in innovative technologies, led by Julian Treger and Braam Jonker, in relation to investments by CoTec into Mkango and Mkango’s subsidiary, Maginito Limited, and collaboration in downstream rare earth technologies (the “Transactions”). The Transactions are expected to include the following key components:
- CoTec will invest £2 million (C$3.2 million) into Mkango by way of a two-year, unsecured convertible note (“Mkango Note”) with 5% interest, convertible into Mkango shares at 27p each, providing Mkango with additional working capital as it advances financing discussions for the Songwe Hill rare earths project (“Songwe”) in Malawi and the Pulawy separation plant project in Poland
- CoTec will also invest £1.5 million (C$2.4 million) into Maginito, equating to a 10% equity stake in Maginito for the purposes of strategic investments in downstream rare earth technologies and working capital
- Restructuring resulting in Mkango’s wholly owned subsidiary, Mkango Rare Earths UK Limited, (“Mkango UK”) becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Maginito
- In consideration of a four-month exclusivity period, CoTec will advance £500,000 (C$805,000), no later than June 20, 2022 (the “Advance”), offsetable against and carrying largely the same terms as the Mkango Note
- Mkango and CoTec will enter into a co-operation agreement regarding future investments in rare earth processing technology opportunities in the United States
- The Transactions are subject to various conditions, including definitive documentation, restructuring in relation to Mkango UK and TSX Venture Exchange approval. There can be no certainty that any agreement will be reached nor as to the final terms of the proposed investment.
Mkango Resources Ltd. and CoTec Holdings Corp. are pleased to announce that, on May 29, 2022, they signed a non-binding term sheet in relation to a potential £2 million convertible note investment in Mkango bearing 5% interest, a potential £1.5 million equity investment in Maginito, and a co-operation agreement regarding future investments in rare earth processing technology opportunities in the United States.
William Dawes, Chief Executive of Mkango stated: “We are very pleased to take this step towards collaborating with CoTec in the rare earths sector. The proposed investments would increase Mkango’s financial flexibility, creating a strong platform to grow Maginito and for future expansion into the U.S. market, whilst the integrated development of Songwe and the Pulawy separation plant continues in parallel.”
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Julian Treger, Chief Executive Officer of CoTec stated: “Our collaboration with, and investment in, Mkango and Maginito are consistent with CoTec’s focus on investing in innovative, green and scalable technologies in the mineral extraction industry.”
Maginito is focused on developing green technology opportunities in the rare earths supply chain, encompassing neodymium (NdFeB) magnet recycling as well as innovative rare earth alloy, magnet, and separation technologies. Maginito holds a 42% interest in U.K. rare earth (NdFeB) magnet recycler, HyProMag (www.hypromag.com) with an option to increase its interest to 49%. Hypromag has licensed the patented technology called HPMS (Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap) developed in the Magnetic Materials Group (MMG) at the University of Birmingham.
HyProMag’s strategy is to establish short loop recycling facilities for NdFeB magnets at Tyseley Energy Park in Birmingham, U.K. (the “Tyseley Recycling Facilities”) and other locations to provide a sustainable solution for the supply of NdFeB magnets and alloy powders for a wide range of markets including, for example, automotive and electronics. In November 2021, HyProMag established an 80%-owned subsidiary in Germany, HyProMag GmbH, to rollout commercialisation of HPMS technology into Germany and Europe.
Mkango UK is establishing a pilot plant at Tyseley Energy Park (the “Mkango UK Pilot Plant”) to chemically process recycled HPMS NdFeB powder and magnet swarf (i.e. the powder produced from grinding and finishing magnets) from a range of scrap sources including electronic waste, electric motors and wind turbines, complementing the short loop magnet recycling routes being developed in parallel by HyProMag.
Source: GlobeNewswire