Pensana Plc - Update on Longonjo Mine Development, Downstream and Offtake
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THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION
UPDATE ON LONGONJO MINE DEVELOPMENT
DOWNSTREAM AND OFFTAKE
Highlights at a Glance
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The
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Manufacture of the long-lead process equipment is well advanced, with approximately
· A heavy rare earth recovery circuit optimisation is underway, targeting a production of dysprosium and terbium production of over 122 tonnes per year, making Longonjo one of the western world's largest heavy rare earth producers.
· A modular separation facility is being engineered which will be scalable with the planned mine expansion and will include a metallization circuit to convert both the light and heavy rare earth oxides into metal for direct supply to magnet manufacturers.
· Longonjo hosts one of the world's largest undeveloped rare earth mines with a JORC Ore Reserve containing 139,457 tonnes of NdPrO and 3,689 tonnes of DbTyO with a mine of life more than 20 years based on near surface resources, with the potential to increase this to over one billion tonnes after the forthcoming drilling programme.
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A multi-partner offtake framework has been established anchored by
Toyota Tsusho (
· All the major Japanese trading houses have been engaged, including Hanwa, who are sponsoring an investigation into rare earth separation with the Japanese government under METI's Global South Initiative.
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Currently engaged partners include all three of the main Japanese magnet producers (Shin-Etsu, Proterial, and TDK and tier-one suppliers in
· Preparations for a NASDAQ listing are underway to broaden access to US capital markets.
Tim George Pensana CEO commented:
"We are delighted with the progress by the team on site led by
Once in full production it will be one of the world's biggest producers of both light and heavy rare earths and will form part of an integrated and independent rare earth supply chain supporting the Japanese, US and European economies."
Longonjo rare earth mine - Development Update
Project Overview
The operation will extract, concentrate, calcine and chemically refine the near-surface free-dig carbonatite material to produce a high-value mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC), to be railed to Lobito for international export.
Resource and Reserve
_____________________________________________________________________________ | Parameter | Detail | Unit | Notes | |______________________|__________|______|____________________________________| | Ore Reserve (Stage 1)|22 million|tonnes|JORC-compliant, Measured & Indicated| | | | |only | |______________________|__________|______|____________________________________| | Reserve Grade (TREO) |3.04% |% TREO|One of the highest grades globally | |______________________|__________|______|____________________________________| | NdPrO Content |139,457 |tonnes|Magnet metal oxide | |______________________|__________|______|____________________________________| | DyO + TbO Content |3,689 |tonnes|Magnet metal oxide | |______________________|__________|______|____________________________________| | Mine Life |20+ |years |Stage 1 development | |______________________|__________|______|____________________________________| | ROM Throughput |0.85 |Mtpa |Stage 1 design basis | |______________________|__________|______|____________________________________| | Phase 1 MREC Output |20,000 |tpa |Initial production capacity | |______________________|__________|______|____________________________________| | Phase 2 MREC Output |40,000 |tpa |Expansion phase from ~2029 | |______________________|__________|______|____________________________________|
Construction Progress
Main Construction Phase (Active - 2026)
Construction at Longonjo is advancing at full pace and firmly on schedule at over 20% completion of the full project schedule. Main construction activities commenced on plan following the successful conclusion of the FSDEA-funded early works programme.
The site-wide earthworks are now substantially complete, including all earthworks associated with the plant terrace, and supporting geotechnical and drilling programmes previously announced have been completed with all investigations completed and the drilling rig demobilized in April.
The test-piling programme is also complete with an initial 38 piles providing the data now being used to finalise the full piling design. Second and third pile batches are on order, with deliveries due over the coming weeks, giving a total of approximately 1,600m of piling.
The on-site concrete batch and aggregate plants are installed, operational and in use, and at the office and stores complex the earthworks are complete with civil works now commenced.
The procurement programme is well underway with the longest-lead process equipment well advanced and broadly on track. The Sulphuric Acid Plant (Clark Solutions), the single longest-lead package is around 50% complete and has been tracking ahead of schedule.
The main engineering detailed design work by Pro-Process and Lycopodium is advancing well at above 40% completion.
Among the other major procurement workstreams, the Flash Dryer (Ingetecsa) is 56% complete and running slightly ahead of schedule, the Mixer (Ingetecsa) is 69% complete and on target, and the Calciner (
Infrastructure & Logistics
Longonjo enjoys an outstanding infrastructure position. The mine sits nearby the national grid linked to the 2GW Laúca hydropower scheme, delivering low-cost, low-carbon electricity that underpins both operating economics and the Company's strong environmental credentials.
Located just 4km from the Lobito Corridor rail line, which is operated under concession by the Trafigura,
HREE Recovery Circuit - Upgrade Programme
A significant value-enhancement initiative has been initiated to develop a Heavy Rare Earth Element (HREE) recovery facility alongside the primary MREC process plant. Technical studies indicate that the current MREC product, which contains approximately 30 tonnes per annum of HREO, can be upgraded to contain up to 122 tonnes of HREO comprising of dysprosium oxide (DyO) and terbium oxide (TbO) in addition to a higher proportion of SEG products than initially anticipated.
At current market pricing, DyO trades at approximately
This upgrade materially strengthens Longonjo's position as one of the very few suppliers outside
Exploration & Resource Expansion
An expanded drilling programme has been launched to grow the Longonjo resource inventory further, with the clear ambition of cementing Longonjo's standing among the largest rare earth mines in the world.
Downstream Strategy - Separation and Metal Conversion
Downstream Separation & Metal Conversion: Saltend Process Design Optimisation
Pensana is actively optimising the process design of the previously engineered Saltend separation facility, with the objective of deploying that intellectual property and engineering in the most operationally and commercially advantageous location. The evaluation draws on the substantial body of Front End Engineering Design (FEED) work already completed, preserving the value of the investment made to date whilst ensuring the facility configuration is right-sized and right-sited for the project's evolving requirements.
A key output of the optimisation programme is the re-engineering of the facility into a series of modular processing trains. This modular architecture will allow separation capacity to be scaled precisely to match mine output at each stage of development, with additional trains commissioned in line with the planned expansion of the Longonjo mine from initial Phase 1 production of 20,000 tpa MREC towards the Phase 2 target of 40,000 tpa. The modular approach delivers capital efficiency, operational flexibility, and reduced execution risk compared to a single-train design.
The optimised facility design will also incorporate a dedicated heavy rare earth element (HREE) separation circuit, now under active evaluation. This circuit will complement the HREE recovery upgrade being developed at the Longonjo mine site (see Section 2), enabling the full range of separated rare earth oxides - including neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium - to be produced within a single integrated downstream facility and presented directly to magnet metal conversion and manufacturing customers.
A transformational milestone in the delivery of Pensana's full magnet metal value chain has been achieved through the successful award of a grant under the
In
Toyota Tsusho intends to deploy Toyotsu Rare Earths India (TREI) - its established processing subsidiary, operating in
eVAC Magnetics / Vacuumschmelze (VAC) -
In
Under this partnership, MREC from Longonjo is intended to feed the new eVAC Magnetics permanent magnet plant in
In
The proposed separation licencing agreement is designed to help establish a sustainable, independent rare earth supply chain serving US and Allied defence and commercial industries aiming to convert the Longonjo MREC material to Oxide for further processing. ReElement's advanced refining platform is recognised as a low-waste, cost-effective route to producing separated rare earth oxides, and both parties have agreed to leverage the Lobito Corridor for low-cost, efficient access to global export markets.
Product Quality and Customer Qualification
A major potential customer has formally approved the product qualification specifications for Longonjo's mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) product which is a key commercial milestone confirming its suitability for downstream separation processes.
Longonjo's MREC is characterised as `ultra-clean', carrying a notably low impurity profile relative to other global producers. This is a significant competitive advantage for downstream separation. The planned HREE upgrade further enhances the product's appeal to separation and magnet customers.
Offtake Landscape and Commercial Framework
Overview of Offtake Position
Pensana is establishing strategic offtake partnerships responding to the significant global demand for the Mixed Rare Earth Carbonate product but also the separated oxides and metal. The demand covers the three main geographies of
______________________________________________________________________________ | Partner | Geography | Volume (tpa)| Duration| Product | Status | |____________|_____________|_____________|_________|____________|______________| | Toyota |Japan / India| | | | | |Tsusho |(TREI) |Up to 20,000 |5 years |MREC |MOU (Jun 2025)| |Corporation | | | | | | |____________|_____________|_____________|_________|____________|______________| | ReElement |United States|TBC |5 years |MREC |MOU (Jun 2025)| |Technologies|(Indiana) | | | | | |____________|_____________|_____________|_________|____________|______________| | eVAC |United States| | |MREC → NdFeB| | |Magnetics / |(S. Carolina)|TBC |TBC |magnets |MOU (Oct 2025)| |VAC | | | | | | |____________|_____________|_____________|_________|____________|______________| | Undisclosed|Europe |10,000 |5 years |MREC | | |____________|_____________|_____________|_________|____________|______________|
Market Context and Macro Tailwinds
The market backdrop for Western rare earth supply has shifted decisively in Pensana's favour, with several developments materially increasing both the urgency and the value of Longonjo's MREC production. On policy, the
Simultaneously, export controls on medium and heavy rare earths introduced by
Pricing Framework
Offtake pricing across Pensana's current MOU portfolio remains subject to final agreement and the Company is positioning itself to maximise the value in implementing offtakes in line with the company strategy. The Company is engaged in detailed pricing discussions with all offtake partners, with frameworks expected to reflect market benchmarks for MREC and separated rare earth oxide and metal products.
Demand Pipeline - Phase 2
The Company has confirmed high interest in proposed Phase 2 production, which would double MREC output to 40,000 tpa from approximately 2029. Discussions are underway with existing and new offtake partners regarding capacity allocations for Phase 2 production .
Financing and Corporate Developments
Financing Structure
In
On completion, Cascade is expected to hold approximately 4% of Pensana and 38.2% of
ABSA Debt Financing -
Together with the Cascade equity investment, Pensana has a proposed
FSDEA -
FSDEA remains a committed shareholder and strategic partner in the Longonjo project providing continual support across all facets of the
NASDAQ Dual-Listing
The Company's Board is actively evaluating a potential listing on the
About Pensana
Pensana is developing one of the world's largest and highest-grade magnet metal rare earth deposits which will initially produce 20,000 tpa of a clean high value MREC including both LREE and HREE. The plan is to expand production to 40,000 tpa of MREC once initial operations have been established.
The Longonjo operation will extract, concentrate, calcine and chemically refine the free dig material to produce a high-value MREC which will be railed 273km in containers to the
Pensana is looking to establish a world class fully integrated
The Longonjo rare earths deposit is located adjacent to the Lobito rail Corridor approximately 60 km west of the provincial capital of Huambo in central
The project currently under development comprises an open pit, concentrator and recovery plants, tailings storage facility (designed to meet the requirements of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management), process water supply, bulk power supply, mine infrastructure, workshops, offices, accommodation village, recreational facilities, and other associated infrastructure.
The information contained within this announcement is considered by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No.596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement via a
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For further information, please contact:
Shareholder/analyst enquiries:
Pensana Plc
Rob Kaplan, Chief Financial Officer