Ionic Rare Earths - IXR (ASX) News & Expert Insights from Stockhead

Ionic Rare Earths Limited (ASX: IXR or IonicRE) is securing critical elements for the new economy, harnessing our technology to accelerate mining, refining and recycling of magnet and heavy rare earths critical for energy transition, advanced manufacturing and defence.

The Company owns 60% of the Makuutu Rare Earths Project in Uganda. Makuutu is one of the world’s most advanced, large-scale, low-capital cost, Ionic Adsorption Clay (IAC) deposits. Makuutu is receiving global interest due to the prized and uniquely balanced basket of 71% high-value magnet and heavy rare earth elements.

In March 2023, IonicRE announced a positive Stage 1 Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) with an initial 35-year mine life for the first mining licence application (MLA) applied over RL1693. Makuutu has six (6) tenements in total with each to progressively move to a MLA over the next decade. The 300 square kilometres of tenements cover the 37-kilometre-long mineralised body with near surface, low strip ratio IAC mineralisation.

IonicRE is now building a Demonstration Plant at Makuutu, with maiden mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) expected in Q1 2024 – a new primary source of magnet and heavy rare earths product to feed into new supply chains forming across the European, US, UK and Asian markets.

Ionic Technologies International Limited, is a 100% owned UK subsidiary, with patented extraction technologies which transform end of life / spent magnets and waste (swarf) into high value, separated and traceable magnet rare earth oxides (REO) with grades exceeding 99.5%, suitable for use in new sintered permanent magnets (NdFeB). The ‘cookie-cutter’ technology has the potential to support sovereignty of secondary supply chains, and, is a key input to establish the UK’s electric vehicles (EV) manufacturing industry with partners such as the UK Government, Ford, and Less Common Metals, with potential expansion into the EU, US and other advanced manufacturing markets.

IonicRE continues to explore its own magnet and heavy rare earth refinery, or hub, to separate the IAC baskets into the full spectrum of REOs plus scandium. This forms part of an integrated strategy to create downstream supply chain value.

IonicRE aims to completes the circular economy of sustainable and traceable magnet and heavy rare earth elements which have the capacity to unlock a portion of the global push for energy transition.

KEY PEOPLE

Mr Harrison is a mining executive with over 20 years’ experience and an extensive and successful track record specialising in the fields of both mineral processing and hydrometallurgy across multiple commodities. This experience ranges across the full spectrum of project development from greenfield exploration, process development, through studies and engineering, to commissioning and operations.

Mr Harrison was appointed Managing Director of Ionic Rare Earths in December 2020, and has been driving both the development of the Makuutu Rare Earth Project and the downstream supply chain integration through refining the acquisition of magnet recycling business, Ionic Technologies in the UK.

Mr Harrison holds a Bachelor’s degree of Chemical Engineering from Adelaide University with significant battery and technology metals experience across Australia, Asia and Africa. Mr Harrison is a Fellow of the Australian Institute for Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM).

Qualifications

B.Eng (Chemical), FAusIMM

Mr McGarvie has a distinguished and extensive career spanning 45 years in the mining sector covering broad range of senior roles ranging from Production Manager, Registered Mine Manager through to CEO. Mr McGarvie has an extensive portfolio of technical and managerial expertise across mine development, mineral processing, operational and management, which has seen him work across the globe in Australia, Africa and the Middle East.

Mr McGarvie’s significant portion of his career was with Iluka Resources Limited and prior entities, including development roles within its mineral sands operation at Eneabba, Western Australia and a major role in returning the Sierra Rutile mineral sands operation in Sierra Leone (operated by Iluka) to profitable operations following the civil war in that country.

Qualifications

MBT, MAICD, FAIM

Mr Dickson is a Certified Practicing Accountant and has had a successful corporate career focusing on the start-up, restructuring, management, growth and financing of emerging, publicly-listed mining, exploration and oil and gas companies. This experience ranges through a spectrum of activities; including capital and debt raisings, corporate restructuring, stock exchange listings (TSX, ASX, AIM), mineral exploration, mining and feasibility studies.

Mr Dickson has been a director of, and involved in the executive management of, numerous publicly listed resource companies with activities in Australia, Nicaragua, Chile, Mexico, Finland, Ukraine, Laos, Papua New Guinea, South Africa and Uganda. Mr Dickson has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Finance and is a Fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants.

Qualifications

B.Bus, FCPA, FGIA, MAICD

Dr van der Walt has a proven track-record in mining project development and has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a deep understanding of project delivery in Africa. Focusing on mine optimisations without compromising standards or safety, he has had oversight of billion-dollar budgets and has lead large scale workforces, being charged with the responsibility of numerous direct and up to 3,500 indirect reports.

His key focus is to oversee all aspects of the Makuutu Rare Earths Project, which will include further growth strategies for the mine.

Before joining Ionic Rare Earths, Dr van der Walt was General Manager of Projects and Studies Africa with specialist resources private equity group EMR Capital, where he was leading the Lubambe Copper Project in Zambia. Prior to that he was with Newmont as Regional Project Director for Africa where he delivered the US$2 billion Ahafo mega-project in Ghana.

Dr van der Walt has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pretoria, a Master’s Degree in Business Management from the University of Cape Town and a PhD in Business Administration from the Potchefstroom Business School, University of North West, South Africa.

Qualifications

B.Eng (Mechanical), M.Com, PhD, Pr.Eng

Mr Polonsky is a mining executive with over 20 years’ experience in the finance industry. He has experience with mine development financing, new business development and portfolio optimisation. Mr Polonsky has provided merger, acquisition, divestment and capital markets advice across a range of industries and sectors including natural resources, infrastructure and renewable energy.

Mr Polonsky has worked for leading global investment banks and was a founding partner at a boutique corporate advisory firm. Mr Polonsky has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Melbourne and qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia.

Qualifications

B.Comm