Euro Manganese to Restart Pilot Plant in Response to Prospective Customers

Samples of high purity manganese products from pilot plant will accelerate supply chain qualification process

Highlights:

• In response to requests from prospective customers, Euro Manganese will restart its pilot plant to process tailings material from the Chvaletice Manganese Project.
• The pilot plant will produce small samples of high-purity manganese products for prospective customers, primarily in Europe, in advance of larger samples to come from the Project’s Demonstration Plant, targeted to begin operations in the first quarter of 2022.
• The product samples will allow prospective customers to continue or initiate the supply chain qualification work required prior to approval of battery raw materials for use in electric vehicles.
• The original pilot plant operated in 2018 and produced exceptionally pure manganese products during process design studies for the Project’s preliminary economic assessment ("PEA”).

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Euro Manganese Inc. (TSX-V / ASX: EMN) (the "Company” or "EMN”) is pleased to announce its plan to restart its pilot plant to produce high-purity manganese samples for prospective customers.

The Company has engaged Changsha Research Institute for Mining and Metallurgy Co. Ltd. ("CRIMM”), the original operators of the pilot plant, to restart the facility with delivery of product samples targeted for the fourth quarter of 2021.

The samples will be used by prospective customers to accelerate their supply chain qualification work.

CRIMM is also the lead contractor for the Demonstration Plant ("DP”), which is currently being fabricated in China for delivery and installation at the Chvaletice Manganese Project ("Project”) site in the Czech Republic later this year. The DP will recycle tailings material to produce battery-grade manganese products using the same process proposed for the full-scale commercial plant, targeted for production in late 2024/early 2025.

The pilot plant, which in 2018 produced ultra-high-purity manganese samples as part of the Project’s PEA metallurgical test work program, will be refurbished and restarted to prepare an initial batch of approximately 50 kg of high-purity electrolytic manganese metal and 150 kg of high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate. These product samples will be used by prospective customers for supply chain qualification, which involves thorough testing and evaluation of battery raw materials prior to approval for use by cathode, battery and electric vehicle manufacturers.

"Demand for sustainably-produced, battery-grade manganese is increasing rapidly and there simply isn’t enough production capacity in the world to meet it today,” says Euro Manganese CEO, Marco Romero. "New producers need to come on stream soon and undergo rigorous supply chain qualification of their products. The restart of our pilot plant will help us better service several prospective customers’ near-term objectives to pre-qualify new producers like us. With the restart of our pilot plant, we will be able to move more quickly in delivering finished-product samples, and to follow-on in early 2022 with larger samples from our Demonstration Plant.”

About Euro Manganese Inc.

Euro Manganese Inc. is a battery materials company whose principal focus is advancing the development of the Chvaletice Manganese Project, in which it holds a 100% interest. The proposed Project entails re-processing a significant manganese deposit hosted in mine tailings from a decommissioned mine, strategically located in the Czech Republic. The Company’s goal is to become a leading, competitive and environmentally superior primary producer of ultra-high-purity Manganese Products in the heart of Europe, serving the lithium-ion battery industry, as well as other high-technology applications.

The technical information in this news release concerning the Chvaletice Manganese Project was prepared under the supervision of Ms. Andrea Zaradic, P. Eng., a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").  Ms. Zaradic has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release and has consented to the inclusion of the matters in this news release based on the information in the form and context in which it appears.

Authorized for release by the CEO of Euro Manganese Inc.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) or the ASX accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements” or "forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may”, "would”, "could”, "will”, "intend”, "expect”, "believe”, "plan”, "anticipate”, "estimate”, "scheduled”, "forecast”, "predict” and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may”, "could”, "would”, "might” or "will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking information or statements relate to future events or future performance about the Company and its business and operations, which include, without limitation, statements with respect to the continued development of the Project, the restart of the pilot plant, the timing of the delivery and operation of the demonstration plant, the successful qualification of the Company’s high-purity manganese products and the Company’s ability to negotiate offtake agreements with such prospective customers, and the Company’s ability to finance the full-scale, commercial development of the Project. Further, it should be noted that no production decision has been made with respect to the Project and that such a decision will only be made based on completion of a positive feasibility study, permitting and financing having been secured.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to, the factors discussed under "Risks Notice” and elsewhere in the Company’s MD&A, as well as the inability to obtain regulatory approvals in a timely manner; the potential for unknown or unexpected events to cause contractual conditions to not be satisfied; unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the Company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors set forth in the "Risks Notice” section and elsewhere in the Company’s MD&A for the year ended September 30, 2020 and its Annual Information Form.