REG - Horizonte Minerals - Award of EPCM Contract to AFRY

Horizonte MineralsAnnouncement

22/03/2022 07:16

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RNS Number : 5725F  Horizonte Minerals PLC  22 March 2022

NEWS
RELEASE

22 March 2022

 

Horizonte Minerals Plc

("Horizonte" or the "Company")

 

Award of EPCM Contract to AFRY

for Construction of the Araguaia Ferronickel Project

 

Horizonte Minerals Plc, (AIM: HZM, TSX: HZM) the nickel development company
focused in Brazil, is pleased to announce that it has awarded the Engineering,
Procurement and Construction Management contract (the "EPCM Contract") for the
construction of its 100% owned Araguaia ferronickel project ("Araguaia" or the
"Project") to Pöyry Tecnologia Ltda ("Pöyry"), the Brazilian subsidiary of
global engineering services firm AFRY.

 

AFRY is a global leader in engineering, design and advisory services with
specialist expertise and a strong track record in delivering pyrometallurgical
projects for the metals and mining industry. Award of the EPCM Contract to
AFRY follows a comprehensive and competitive global tender process.

 

The EPCM Contract, awarded via the Company's wholly owned subsidiary Araguaia
Niquel Metais Ltda., involves the provision of a comprehensive range of
services across engineering, procurement, construction management, project
management and commissioning.

 

In line with the award of the EPCM contract, Horizonte has been building an
experienced owner's team to work alongside AFRY.  Under the guidance of Mike
Drake, as Head of Projects, the Company has assembled a strong project
leadership team with a successful track record of implementing large scale
projects in Brazil with a particularl focus on the ferronickel industry. The
project leadership team is now complete and mobilised at both the Company's
Belo Horizonte and Conceição do Araguaia offices. The full owner's team
totals 85 people across all key disciplines.

 

Horizonte's owner's team will work closely with Pöyry to provide direction
and governance. Pöyry has been working with the Company since Q3 2021 to
undertake early works and other execution preparation phase services.

 

Recent appointments to the Araguaia Project Leadership Team include:

 

·    Leonardo Vianna, Araguaia Project Director

Leo is a Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineer with over 24 years of experience
in project implementation & management. He was previously Project Director
for Vale's B$1.9B Bahodopi nickel project (REKEF processing plant) in Asia. He
has significant experience in Project Management (FEL methodology and PMI),
Engineering, Construction, Maintenance and Health & Safety and has worked
in Brazil, Mozambique, South Africa, Guinea, United Arab Emirates.

 

·    Leonardo Paiva, Project Services Manager

Leo is a Civil Engineer with over 16 years of experience in the industry. Most
recently he was Head of Projects for MRN with its life of mine plan extension
project. Previously he worked in Arcadis for 12 years with Project and Program
Management of major industrial and infrastructure projects in Brazil,
Malaysia, Indonesia, and Peru, with a focus on the mining industry, from
conception to completion.

 

·    Marcia Wiesen, Commissioning and Business Readiness Manager

Marcia is an electrical engineer with over 30 years of experience building and
commissioning electric furnaces. Marcia's previous roles include Commissioning
Manager of Vale's Onca Puma ferronickel plant with two reduction furnace of
120MVA, Commissioning Director of Koniambo Nickel ferronickel plant with two
reduction furnace of 80MVA and, Site Manager of SMS Siemag, of erection, cold
and hot commissioning of two 48MVA ferronickel reduction furnaces at Minera
Loma de Níquel,

 

·    Marco Magalhães, Construction Manager

Marco is a Civil Engineer with over 30 years of experience primarily in mine
operation and capital projects. Most recently, he led the entire construction
process for Appian's Serrote Project in Brazil. He has 12 years of experience
in the construction, contract management, commissioning, and start-up phases
in the Mina Brucutu and Coal Moatize projects by Vale SA and Minas Rio by
Anglo American.

 

·    Albert Jacobs, Engineering Manager

Albert is a Mechanical Engineer with over 30 years of experience in
pryometallurgy and smelting. Albert has extensive experience in managing
small- and large-scale projects from inception to final handover, developing
project plans, standards, procedures, manuals and systems, growing teams,
managing stakeholders, performing planning, monitoring and control functions,
and ensuring efficient project completion & close-out). His previous roles
include Engineering Manager roles at Anglo American, HATCH and Kumba Iron ore.

 

·    Manuel Rodriguez, Technical Manager

Manuel is an experienced Metallurgical and Material Engineer, with over 20
years of experience in the ferronickel industry. He previously spent 11 years
as Process Engineer for Anglo American's Barro Alto project, optimising
refractories for electrical furnace, refinery, workforce training &
development, and improving ore preparation, rotary kilns, refractories and
RKEF processes.

 

Horizonte CEO, Jeremy Martin commented: "We are delighted to welcome AFRY,
another world class partner to the team for the construction of the Araguaia
project. AFRY is a leader in its field and has a strong track record of
successfully delivering metals and mining projects. We have been working with
the local Pöyry team for several months in our project execution planning
phase to ensure a smooth transfer to the construction phase of Araguaia.
Araguaia will be delivered according to an EPCM strategy, in partnership with
AFRY. The Horizonte owner's team will be integrated into the AFRY team with
clear roles and responsibilities which is standard practice in Brazil.

 

In parallel with the award of the EPCM contract we have built out our owner's
team with a focus on key individuals in the ferronickel space in Brazil,
resulting in the Company we now having a very strong in-country team. The
quality of the Araguaia project, the relevance of the nickel industry in the
clean energy transition and Horizonte's high sustainability standards has
enabled us to secure the industry's leading talent. "

 

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of
EU Regulation 596/2014, as retained in the UK pursuant to S3 of the European
Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.

 

For further information, visit www.horizonteminerals.com
(http://www.horizonteminerals.com) or contact:

 

 Horizonte Minerals plc                                info@horizonteminerals.com (mailto:info@horizonteminerals.com)

 Jeremy Martin (CEO)                                   +44 (0) 203 356 2901

 Anna Legge (Corporate Communications)

 Peel Hunt LLP (Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker)      +44 (0)20 7418 8900

 Ross Allister

 David McKeown

 BMO (Joint Broker)                                    +44 (0) 20 7236 1010

 Thomas Rider

 Pascal Lussier Duquette

 Andrew Cameron

 

 

About Horizonte Minerals:

Horizonte Minerals plc (AIM & TSX: HZM) is developing two 100% owned, tier
one projects in Parà state, Brazil - the Araguaia Nickel Project and the
Vermelho Nickel-Cobalt Project. Both projects are large scale, high-grade,
low-cost, low-carbon and scalable. Araguaia is fully funded and in
construction. The project will produce 29,000 tonnes of nickel per year to
supply the stainless steel market. Vermelho is at feasibility study stage and
will produce 25,000 tonnes of nickel and 1,250 tonnes of cobalt to supply the
EV battery market.  Horizonte's combined near-term production profile of over
50,000 tonnes of nickel per year positions the Company as a globally
significant nickel producer. Horizonte is developing a new nickel district in
Brazil that will benefit from established infrastructure, including
hydroelectric power available in the Carajás Mining District.

 

 

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain
information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking
information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking
information includes, but is not limited to, the ability of the Company to
complete the acquisition of equipment as described herein, statements with
respect to the potential of the Company's current or future property mineral
projects; the ability of the Company to complete a positive feasibility study
regarding the second RKEF line at Araguaia on time, or at all, the success of
exploration and mining activities; cost and timing of future exploration,
production and development; the costs and timing for delivery of the equipment
to be purchased as described herein, the estimation of mineral resources and
reserves and the ability of the Company to achieve its goals in respect of
growing its mineral resources; the realization of mineral resource and reserve
estimates and achieving production in accordance with the Company's potential
production profile or at all. Generally, forward-looking information can be
identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans",
"expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled",
"estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate",
or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that
certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will
be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is based on
the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management
made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current
conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management
believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that
such statements are made, and are inherently subject to known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results,
level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially
different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information,
including but not limited to risks related to: the inability of the Company to
complete the acquisition of equipment contemplated herein, on time or at all,
the ability of the Company to complete a positive feasibility study regarding
the implementation of a second RKEF line at Araguaia on the timeline
contemplated or at all, exploration and mining risks, competition from
competitors with greater capital; the Company's lack of experience with
respect to development-stage mining operations; fluctuations in metal prices;
uninsured risks; environmental and other regulatory requirements; exploration,
mining and other licences; the Company's future payment obligations; potential
disputes with respect to the Company's title to, and the area of, its mining
concessions; the Company's dependence on its ability to obtain sufficient
financing in the future; the Company's dependence on its relationships with
third parties; the Company's joint ventures; the potential of currency
fluctuations and political or economic instability in countries in which the
Company operates; currency exchange fluctuations; the Company's ability to
manage its growth effectively; the trading market for the ordinary shares of
the Company; uncertainty with respect to the Company's plans to continue to
develop its operations and new projects; the Company's dependence on key
personnel; possible conflicts of interest of directors and officers of the
Company, and various risks associated with the legal and regulatory framework
within which the Company operates, together with the risks identified and
disclosed in the Company's disclosure record available on the Company's
profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com (http://www.sedar.com) , including without
limitation, the annual information for of the Company for the year ended
December 31, 2020, the Araguaia Report and the Vermehlo Report. Although
management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in
forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not
to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that
such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events
could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

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