Altech Chemicals : - HALLOYSITE DISCOVERED AT KERRIGAN KAOLIN DEPOSIT

Published: 2021-10-13 11:08:10 ET ATC.AX

Altech Chemicals Limited (Altech/the Company) (ASX: ATC) (FRA: A3Y) is pleased to announce the discovery of halloysite at its Kerrigan kaolin deposit in Western Australia.

The halloysite was observed during the recent processing of samples from its 2020 air-core drilling campaign1.

The Kerrigan deposit is located 20kms south of the central wheat belt town of Hyden, Western Australia and sits within exploration licence E70/4718-I, which covers an area of approximately 480km2. The licence was granted in 2015 and is 100% owned by Altech.

Halloysite is a tubular form of the kaolin group of minerals where the mineral naturally occurs as nanotubes; microscopic tubes, the diameter of which is measured in nanometres (one millionth of a millimetre). The properties of halloysite nanotubes make halloysite products ideally suited to a diverse range of specialist applications, attracting a significant premium above the average kaolin price.

Halloysite has long been prized in the manufacture of high-grade porcelain and ceramics improving strength and chip-resistance. Halloysite has attracted research interest for the development of new products such as fibre reinforcement in polymers and as micro-containers for controlled delivery of active agents. More recently, halloysite has been promoted as a lower cost alternative to carbon nanotubes which have many high-tech applications such as hydrogen storage and carbon capture.

Initial x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations into the presence of halloysite in Altech's Kerrigan kaolin deposit are encouraging, One of the six samples examined demonstrated abundant tubular structures consistent with halloysite. Three other samples examined demonstrated similar halloysite rod like structures and their tubular nature will be confirmed with further investigation.

The Company has embarked on further test work involving 31 samples which will aim to confirm and determine the significance of the initial results. The occurrence of halloysite within the Kerrigan kaolin deposit does not imply any economic benefit at this stage of test work. The Company remains committed and focussed on finalising finance for its high purity alumina (HPA) plant in Johor, Malaysia and advancing the preliminary feasibility study for construction of a battery materials high purity alumina coating plant in Saxony, Germany

Contact:

Iggy Tan

Tel: +61 8 6168 1555

Email: [email protected]

About Altech Chemicals (ASX:ATC) (FRA:A3Y)

Altech Chemicals Limited (Altech/the Company) is aiming to become one of the world's leading suppliers of 99.99% (4N) high purity alumina (Al2O3) through the construction and operation of a 4,500tpa high purity alumina (HPA) processing plant at Johor, Malaysia. Feedstock for the plant will be sourced from the Company's 100%-owned kaolin deposit at Meckering, Western Australia and shipped to Malaysia. HPA is a high-value, high margin and highly demanded product as it is the critical ingredient required for the production of synthetic sapphire. Synthetic sapphire is used in the manufacture of substrates for LED lights, semiconductor wafers used in the electronics industry, and scratch-resistant sapphire glass used for wristwatch faces, optical windows and smartphone components. Increasingly HPA is used by lithium-ion battery manufacturers as the coating on the battery's separator, which improves performance, longevity and safety of the battery. With global HPA demand approximately 19,000t (2018), it is estimated that this demand will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% (2018-2028); by 2028 HPA market demand is forecast to be approximately 272,000t, driven by the increasing adoption of LEDs worldwide as well as the demand for HPA by lithium-ion battery manufacturers to serve the surging electric vehicle market. German engineering firm SMS group GmbH (SMS) is the appointed EPC contractor for construction of Altech's Malaysian HPA plant. SMS has provided a USD280 million fixed price turnkey contract and has proposed clear and concise guarantees to Altech for pl ant throughput and completion.

Altech has executed an off-take sales arrangement with Mitsubishi Corporation's Australian subsidiary, Mitsubishi Australia Ltd (Mitsubishi) covering the first 10-years of HPA production from the plant. Conservative (bank case) cash flow modelling of the project shows a pre-tax net present value of USD505.6million at a discount rate of 7.5%. The Project generates annual average net free cash of USD76million at full production (allowing for sustaining capital and before debt servicing and tax), with an attractive margin on HPA sales of 63%. (Refer to ASX Announcement 'Positive Final Investment Decision Study for 4,500TPA HPA project' dated 23 October 2017 for complete details.

The Company confirms that as at the date of this announcement there are no material changes to the key assumptions adopted in the study). The Company has been successful in securing senior project debt finance of USD190 million from German government owned KfW IPEX-Bank as senior lender. Altech has also mandated Macquarie Bank (Macquarie) as the preferred mezzanine lender for the project. The indicative and non-binding mezzanine debt term sheet (progressing through due diligence) is for a facility amount of up to USD90 million. To maintain project momentum during the period leading up to financial close, Altech has raised A$39 million in the last 24 months to fund the commencement of Stage 1 and 2 of the plant's construction; Stage 1 construction commenced in February 2019 with Stage 2 early works completed at the end of June 2020.

Forward-looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements which are identified by words such as 'anticipates', 'forecasts', 'may', 'will', 'could', 'believes', 'estimates', 'targets', 'expects', 'plan' or 'intends' and other similar words that involve risks and uncertainties. Indications of, and guidelines or outlook on, future earnings, distributions or financial position or performance and targets, estimates and assumptions in respect of production, prices, operating costs, results, capital expenditures, reserves and resources are also forward-looking statements. These statements are based on an assessment of present economic and operating conditions, and on a number of assumptions and estimates regarding future events and actions that, while considered reasonable as at the date of this announcement and are expected to take place, are inherently subject to significant technical, business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, the directors and management. We cannot and do not give any assurance that the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement will actually occur and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risk factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the events or results estimated, expressed or anticipated in these statements.