Manganese X Energy Corp (TSX-V:MN, OTCQB:MNXXF) said it has joined the world-renowned International Manganese Institute (IMnI) of Paris, France, and will be an active participant in the IMnl high-purity manganese committee, which has a mission to promote, advance, improve and increase utilization of high-purity manganese within electric vehicle (EV) battery chemistries.
In a statement, Manganese X CEO Martin Kepman commented: "We are extremely pleased to have joined such a prestigious organization, and to be an integral participant in the committee, meaning Manganese X will continue to be part of the movement to advance high purity manganese in the EV world.
"It's perfect timing because at the same time that we're meeting with companies which notably share the same vision as Manganese X, our high-purity manganese pilot plant project is near completion. This project intends to validate our patent-pending high-purity manganese technology on a larger scale so as to fulfill our mission of Battery Hill's manganese being used to supply high-purity manganese in the North American EV battery supply chain."
READ: Manganese X Energy closes nearly $2.1M financing to advance Battery Hill project
The IMnI is the association representing the global manganese industry with more than 100 member companies producing, trading and consuming manganese in all its forms. Founded in 1975, IMnI's mission is to provide vision and guidance to the manganese industry by promoting economic, social and environmental responsibility and sustainability to all stakeholders. With a staff of six experts based in Europe, India and China, the IMnI is the best source of market research and sustainability information on manganese.
Manganese X's pilot plant project is being managed by Kemetco Research Inc, a well-known metallurgical engineering company, headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia. The company's Battery Hill manganese deposit is being used in the project to produce EV-compliant 99.5% high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) samples. Upon conclusion of the project, slated for the end of 2023's first quarter, Manganese X will distribute the HPMSM samples to EV and cathode makers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs); a growing number of companies have already requested samples to tour the pilot plant project.
The manganese contained in the samples is sourced from the company's Battery Hill project in New Brunswick which is one of the largest manganese deposits in North America. The company released a robust economic PEA last year and is in process of preparing for Battery Hill's Prefeasibility Study, slated to be commenced in 2023's third quarter.
Manganese is already a dominant component used in steel production and because of that industry's steady growth, manganese remains one of the most widely used minerals in the world. On the technology side, EV batteries, off-the-grid power systems, and other energy storage applications will require significant amounts of high-purity manganese. CPM Group is forecasting a nine-fold increase by 2030 in demand for high-purity manganese and thinks that this will result in a large deficit of this critical battery material.
Manganese X's mission is to advance its Battery Hill project into production, thereby becoming the first public actively traded manganese mining company in Canada and US to commercialize EV Compliant High Purity Manganese, to supply the North American supply chain.
The company intends to supply value-added materials to the lithium-ion battery and other alternative energy industries, as well as striving to achieve new carbon-friendly more efficient methodologies, while processing manganese at a lower competitive cost.
Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com