REG - Sovereign Metals Ltd - Kasiya Test Pit Rehabilitation Trials Results

Sovereign MetalsAnnouncement

20/08/2025 07:00

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RNS Number : 0555W  Sovereign Metals Limited  20 August 2025

NEWS RELEASE I 20 AUGUST 2025

KASIYA TEST PIT REHABILITATION TRIALS DELIVER EXCEPTIONAL FIRST YEAR RESULTS

·    Rehabilitation trials achieve 5x crop yield improvement -
demonstrating superior post-mining land productivity versus traditional
farming

·    Critical DFS input delivered - land rehabilitation strategy now
de-risked for integration into mining schedule, back-filling, mine closure and
post-mining land use with empirical data to inform the DFS

·    Tier 1 ESG credentials confirmed - progressive rehabilitation model
supports sustainable mining and post-mining land-use, while also providing for
substantial carbon sequestration opportunities

·    Community partnership validated - 28 local farmers achieved
transformational agricultural outcomes

 

Sovereign Metals Limited (ASX:SVM; AIM:SVML; OTCQX:SVMLF) (Sovereign or the
Company) is pleased to announce exceptional first-year results from its
rehabilitation trials at the Kasiya Rutile-Graphite Project (Kasiya or the
Project) in Malawi, delivering critical data that will inform the progressive
rehabilitation strategy for the ongoing Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS).

The successful rehabilitation trials address a key component of Kasiya's
development pathway, demonstrating that post-mining land can achieve superior
agricultural productivity compared to pre-mining conditions. With maize yields
of 5.2 tonnes per hectare versus the regional average of 1 tonne per hectare,
the trials validate Sovereign's progressive mining, back-filling and
rehabilitation approach that will be integrated into the DFS.

Sovereign Metals CEO Frank Eagar commented: "These outstanding rehabilitation
results represent another critical milestone in our systematic approach to
developing Kasiya into a Tier 1, low carbon, sustainable operation. The
empirical data from these trials directly informs our DFS rehabilitation
strategy, further de-risking the project while demonstrating exceptional ESG
credentials. With oversight from the joint SVM - Rio Technical Committee, we
continue to advance the genuine Tier-1 Kasiya Project."

Rehabilitation Lead and Environmental Manager, Marco Da Cunha commented:
"Sovereign is fully committed to rehabilitating all disturbed land so it can
be used for sustainable agricultural activities well beyond the mine life. We
partnered with local farmers where we successfully tested several
rehabilitation options to develop a model for agronomic-driven soil
rehabilitation to be adopted by Sovereign during mining."

 

SUCCESSFUL REHABILITATION RESULTS FURTHER DE-RISK DFS

The 10-hectare pilot program achieved a 5x crop yield improvement through soil
remediation, engaging 28 local farmers as partners and proving the
rehabilitation process to be effective for a scaled-up implementation.
Sovereign followed a systematic six-step rehabilitation process that
successfully restored the disturbed land back to productive agricultural use:

1.   Land preparation with complete backfill and grading to original
contours.

2.   Soil nutrient enhancement via application of locally sourced lime,
biochar and fertilisers.

3.   Mechanical integration using community-sourced equipment.

4.   Strategic planting of bamboo blocks with intercropped maize and
legumes.

5.   Harvest success delivering 5.2 tonnes/hectare average yield.

6.   Year-round productivity enabled by drip irrigation for winter farming
programs.

The rehabilitation approach combines proven agronomic practices with
innovative techniques, including biochar application, precision nutrient
management, and intercropping with Giant Bamboo - creating a replicable model
for the broader Kasiya development. These rehabilitation results will be
integrated into Sovereign's progressive rehabilitation strategy within the
DFS, supporting:

·      Project-specific closure provisioning through demonstrated
restoration success.

·      Enhanced community value proposition via improved post-mining
land productivity.

·      Proven environmental stewardship.

·      Strengthened ESG positioning.

Figure 1: Test pit site during the mining trials (September 2024)

Figure 2: Rehabilitation site with mature crop (May 2025)

 

Figure 3: Close-up of the healthy crops (May 2025)

 

 

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP MODEL

The trials established a proven framework for community engagement that will
scale across Kasiya's development.

Sovereign secured the 10-hectare trial site through a two-year lease from
local farmers. The Company worked together with the local farmers to remediate
the soils, and plant bamboo and maize crops, deliberately favouring local
labour over advanced mechanisation to maximise local benefits.

This approach allowed both Sovereign and farmers to directly experience the
rehabilitation trials and learn key lessons together, with the land to be
returned to the farmers once the 2025-2026 farming season harvest is
collected.

This collaborative approach has strengthened Sovereign's social license by
building long-term stakeholder support, creating a replicable model with a
systematic approach ready for broader implementation across the Project.

Figure 4: Harvest celebration at the rehabilitated Kasiya test pit (June 2025)

 

 Enquiries
 Frank Eagar, Managing Director & CEO

 South Africa / Malawi

 +27 21 140 3190

 Sapan Ghai, CCO

 London

 +44 207 478 3900
                                                                     

 Nominated Adviser on AIM and Joint Broker
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 Ewan Leggat

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 Varun Talwar
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Forward Looking Statement

This release may include forward-looking statements, which may be identified
by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "projects", "plans",
and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on
Sovereign's expectations and beliefs concerning future events. Forward looking
statements are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors,
many of which are outside the control of Sovereign, which could cause actual
results to differ materially from such statements. There can be no assurance
that forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Sovereign makes no
undertaking to subsequently update or revise the forward-looking statements
made in this release, to reflect the circumstances or events after the date of
that release.

 

 

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