CleanTech Lithium PLC (AIM: CTL, Frankfurt:T2N, OTCQX:CTLHF), an exploration and improvement firm advancing sustainable lithium tasks in Chile, is happy to offer a company exercise replace which incorporates appointment of Anthony (Tony) Esplin because the Chief Govt Officer Designate (“CEO Designate”) and an replace to the deliberate Australian Securities Trade (“ASX”) itemizing.
Highlights:
- Tony Esplin has been appointed CEO Designate of CleanTech Lithium.
- Mr Esplin, who has over 30 years of expertise at worldwide mining corporations together with in Latin America, Australasia and Indonesia, is becoming a member of the Firm with rapid impact beneath a part-time consultancy contract and can subsequently assume the function of CEO on a full-time foundation, and develop into a board director, as soon as the Firm lists on the ASX.
- Given the assorted holidays and the truth that the Firm must replace the ASX prospectus a call was made to focus on the ASX itemizing in early Q1 2025.
- The Firm confirms it’s working in the direction of submitting the Particular Lithium Working Contract (“CEOL”) for the Laguna Verde undertaking earlier than the deadline of 31st December 2024.
- Important portions of battery-grade lithium carbonate can be produced earlier than the top of the 12 months for potential strategic companions to start out product qualification.
A dialog between Govt Chairman, Steve Kesler, and CEO Designate, Tony Esplin, is accessible to look at right here: https://www.investormeetcompany.com/conferences/appointment-of-ceo
Steve Kesler, Govt Chairman and Interim Chief Govt Officer, CleanTech Lithium PLC, mentioned:
“We’re delighted that Tony has agreed to affix us as CEO, initially beneath a consultancy association to help us with our deliberate ASX itemizing, after which as our full-time CEO as soon as we begin buying and selling on the ASX. This concludes a comparatively lengthy course of to establish the fitting candidate for this essential function and we have been very inspired on the high quality of the candidates who have been eager to take up the reins at CleanTech Lithium.
“Tony’s experiences of main difficult worldwide gold and base metallic tasks of scale by way of improvement into manufacturing, particularly in Latin America, can be invaluable because the Firm strikes our Laguna Verde undertaking ahead in the direction of the industrial manufacturing of battery grade lithium from 2027 onwards. As a fluent Spanish speaker, he will even be in prime place to interact with the Chilean Authorities, regulatory our bodies and particularly the native communities whose persevering with assist for our tasks can be vital to their success.
“Within the meantime, I’ll proceed in my function as Govt Chairman intending to maneuver again to being the Firm’s Non-Govt Chairman when our Board believes the time is correct. I stay up for working with Tony and proceed to be assured sooner or later potential of our Firm”.
Tony Esplin, CEO Designate, mentioned:
“I’m excited to be becoming a member of CleanTech Lithium and searching ahead to the chance to work in Latin America once more. It’s well-known that the lithium market goes by way of a difficult time, however all analysts agree that the lithium worth will recuperate in the end to satisfy the rising worldwide demand for EVs and different types of battery storage. Within the meantime, CleanTech Lithium has positioned itself very properly to be the subsequent main mover within the lithium sector in Chile, by way of the usage of Direct Lithium Extraction (“DLE”) and by adopting extra sustainable strategies of extracting lithium for a market eager to see extra “inexperienced lithium” provide. We intend to be delivering on this imaginative and prescient for our shareholders over the subsequent few years.
“I’m impressed on the outcomes I’ve seen from the Firm’s DLE pilot plant and downstream processing, in addition to the revolutionary group relations programmes the place the Firm has entered into alliances with native communities and universities. I stay up for working with the Board, administration and workers to ship a profitable undertaking at Laguna Verde. While that undertaking can be our main focus in the interim, we additionally produce other property in Chile which we will progress over time, including actual upside to our Firm’s worth proposition for traders”.
Appointment of CEO Designate
Since April 2024, when the Firm’s Govt Chairman, Steve Kesler, additionally took on the function of Interim CEO, the Board has been actively trying to find a CEO with the talents and expertise to maneuver the Firm from its early “exploration & technical testing part” in Chile in the direction of a “improvement and manufacturing part” on its key property. This function requires expertise in driving and managing mineral useful resource tasks in Latin America, delivering on improvement plans, elevating the required funds for such tasks and dealing with Authorities representatives and native communities to make sure these tasks obtain their aims in a sustainable method. Following completion of the Laguna Verde “PFS” on account of full in Q1 2025, the Firm will enter a brand new part. Key actions can be bringing in a strategic accomplice, negotiating offtake agreements, finishing the Definitive Feasibility-Research “DFS”, allowing and putting in the undertaking finance to start out development and graduation of manufacturing at Laguna Verde, which is anticipated by finish 2027. The Firm has been working with government search agency Heidrich & Struggles, based mostly out of Melbourne Australia, to establish the very best candidate for this essential function and the Board is assured that Tony Esplin is the fitting appointment.
Tony Esplin
Mr Esplin is an Australian nationwide who has over 30 years’ expertise in mining together with at senior government and board stage positions primarily with tier one gold and base metals producers, together with with Newmont Company, which ranked for greater than a decade amongst the main miners on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index.
He has vital expertise in managing large-scale rising markets property, together with in Peru, Mexico, Suriname, Indonesia, Australia and Papua New Guinea (“PNG”). Mr Esplin labored and lived for over 12 years in Latin America and is fluent in Spanish. Most just lately, he was Chief Working Officer at Discovery Silver Company, a TSX-listed firm with improvement tasks in Mexico, the place he additionally had broader duties in growing undertaking finance choices and investor relations.
Previous to this, Mr Esplin spent three years as Govt Managing Director of Barrick Niugini, answerable for all sides of the enterprise in PNG. Barrick Niugini is a three way partnership between Barrick Gold and Zijin Mining and the function concerned difficult negotiations with the PNG Authorities, regulators and with area people stakeholders, in addition to establishing advanced licence extensions.
Earlier than Barrick Niugini Mr Esplin spent over 10 years at Newmont in varied roles together with as Basic Supervisor for the Suriname Merian undertaking, a three way partnership with state-owned petroleum firm, Staatsolle Maatschappij Suriname N.V., which was efficiently introduced onto industrial manufacturing on time and beneath price range. The function encompassed all facets of managing the enterprise in Suriname.
Earlier than that, Mr Esplin spent 10 years at Newmont´s Yanacocha undertaking in Peru, latterly as Basic Supervisor Operations answerable for mining, processing and infrastructure actions.
Anthony (Tony) Ian Esplin, aged 58, has held the next directorships and/or partnerships previously 5 years:
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Sierra Nevada De Santa Maria Pty Ltd |
Barrick (Nuigini) Restricted |
Mr Esplin at the moment holds no strange shares or different securities within the Firm.
There is no such thing as a additional data on Tony Esplin required to be disclosed beneath Schedule Two, paragraph (g) (i)-(viii) of the AIM Guidelines for Firms.
Mr Esplin will assist the Board instantly within the deliberate twin itemizing on ASX in a part-time consultancy function, together with his full-time appointment commencing instantly upon the Firm itemizing on the ASX. An additional announcement can be made on that in time. He can be based mostly in Australia growing CleanTech Lithium’s profile with traders, analysts and media earlier than and after the ASX itemizing, growing relationships with potential strategic companions and off-takers while travelling to Chile to work with the group on the Firm’s tasks, construct a group with capability to take the Laguna Verde undertaking into manufacturing and liaise with Authorities, regulators and native communities.
Steve Kesler will proceed as Govt Chairman for a couple of months to assist Mr Esplin in his new place and can then step again to being Non-Govt Chairman as company governance pointers in UK and Australia advocate.
A dialog between Govt Chairman, Steve Kesler, and CEO Designate, Tony Esplin, is accessible to look at right here: https://www.investormeetcompany.com/conferences/appointment-of-ceo
Replace on ASX Itemizing
After thorough dialogue with the Firm’s ASX advisors, the Firm thought of varied time constraints, together with Australian summer time holidays, and determined that it will likely be higher positioned for a profitable ASX itemizing by continuing in early Q1 2025. This can be a strategic transfer because the revised timeline means the Firm could have produced substantial quantities of battery grade lithium carbonate for potential strategic companions to start out product qualification, could have submitted the CEOL software for the Laguna Verde undertaking and can be nearing completion of the Laguna Verde PFS. This may make sure the timing of the proposed itemizing is perfect to ship the very best potential worth to traders. It’s going to additionally permit Mr Esplin to stand up to hurry on the Firm’s place and plans after which actively take part within the ASX itemizing.
CEOL software and pattern lithium product
The Firm is working in the direction of submitting the CEOL for the Laguna Verde undertaking earlier than the deadline of 31st December 2024 and an additional announcement confirming submission can be made in the end.
As introduced on 21st November 2024, the downstream conversion course of is efficiently producing pilot scale samples of lithium carbonate. CleanTech Lithium is a frontrunner in Chile in producing lithium carbonate utilizing Direct Lithium Extraction (“DLE”) on the pilot scale, marking a serious milestone for the Firm. The samples can be despatched to a laboratory to verify the grade and impurity profile, which is predicted to be battery-grade and ready for strategic accomplice qualification.
The knowledge communicated inside this announcement is deemed to represent inside data as stipulated beneath the Market Abuse Laws (EU) No 596/2014 which is a part of UK legislation by advantage of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. Upon publication of this announcement, this inside data is now thought of to be within the public area. The one that organized for the discharge of this announcement on behalf of the Firm was Gordon Stein, Director and CFO.
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For additional data contact: |
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CleanTech Lithium PLC |
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Steve Kesler/Gordon Stein/Nick Baxter |
Jersey workplace: +44 (0) 1534 668 321 Chile workplace: +562-32239222 |
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Or through Celicourt |
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Celicourt Communications Felicity Winkles/Philip Dennis/Ali AlQahtani |
+44 (0) 20 7770 6424 cleantech@celicourt.uk |
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Beaumont Cornish Restricted (Nominated Adviser) Roland Cornish/Asia Szusciak |
+44 (0) 20 7628 3396 |
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Fox-Davies Capital Restricted (Joint Dealer) Daniel Fox-Davies |
+44 (0) 20 3884 8450 daniel@fox-davies.com |
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Canaccord Genuity (Joint Dealer) James Asensio |
+44 (0) 20 7523 4680 |
Beaumont Cornish Restricted (“Beaumont Cornish”) is the Firm’s Nominated Adviser and is authorised and controlled by the FCA. Beaumont Cornish’s duties because the Firm’s Nominated Adviser, together with a accountability to advise and information the Firm on its duties beneath the AIM Guidelines for Firms and AIM Guidelines for Nominated Advisers, are owed solely to the London Inventory Trade. Beaumont Cornish is just not appearing for and won’t be accountable to another individuals for offering protections afforded to clients of Beaumont Cornish nor for advising them in relation to the proposed preparations described on this announcement or any matter referred to in it.
Notes
CleanTech Lithium (AIM:CTL, Frankfurt:T2N, OTCQX:CTLHF) is an exploration and improvement firm advancing lithium tasks in Chile for the clear power transition. Dedicated to net-zero, CleanTech Lithium’s mission is to develop into a brand new provider of battery grade lithium utilizing Direct Lithium Extraction expertise powered by renewable power.
CleanTech Lithium has two key lithium tasks in Chile, Laguna Verde and Viento Andino, and exploration stage tasks in Llamara and Arenas Blancas (Salar de Atacama), positioned within the lithium triangle, a number one centre for battery grade lithium manufacturing. The 2 most superior tasks: Laguna Verde and Viento Andino are located inside basins managed by the Firm, which affords vital potential improvement and operational benefits. All 4 tasks have good entry to present infrastructure.
CleanTech Lithium is dedicated to utilising Direct Lithium Extraction with reinjection of spent brine leading to no aquifer depletion. Direct Lithium Extraction is a transformative expertise which removes lithium from brine with larger recoveries, quick improvement lead instances and no in depth evaporation pond development. www.ctlithium.com
Click on right here to attach with CleanTech Lithium PLC (AIM:CTL, OTCQX:CTLHF, Frankfurt:T2N), to obtain an Investor Presentation
