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Blencowe Resources Plc (LSE: BRES) is pleased to announce further exceptional high-grade purification results from testwork undertaken in association with Alkeemia S.P.A.(“Alkeemia”), a specialist graphite processing organisation based in Porto Marghera, Northern Italy.  This is the first Orom-Cross purification test work conducted within the EU and it represents a bridge into that significant market moving forward.

Highlights

·      Purification testing upgraded all Orom-Cross products to 99.99 carbon content. It is extremely rare for purified graphite to achieve these 4-nines.

·      Four-nines purity is considered the highest purification grade possible and is required for lucrative defence, nuclear and specialist energy applications.

·      Independent European processing confirms non-Chinese purification capability.

·      Alkeemia’s process offers a cleaner, lower-toxicity and lower-carbon alternative to conventional Chinese technologies.

·      Independent testing by a specialist European firm strengthens ongoing offtake discussions and opens additional sales opportunities into European markets.

·      Discussions with Alkeemia regarding potential direct offtake and European purification arrangements.

Strategic Significance

Initial results show that all Orom-Cross concentrates tested were successfully upgraded using Alkeemia’s proprietary process to achieve 99.99% carbon content, exceeding the 99.95% purity typically required for lithium-ion battery applications.

This level of purity enables Blencowe to target higher-value, strategically important end markets including niche defence and nuclear and specialist industrial applications where product quality, traceability and supply security are critical.

Importantly, the Alkeemia process provides a Western, non-Chinese, purification route, utilising a simpler, less toxic, and more cost-effective methodology than conventional acid-based processes widely used in China.  This further aligns Orom-Cross with growing European and US policy objectives to establish secure independent, and sustainable critical mineral supply chains.

Orom-Cross has previously achieved 99.99% purity through testwork conducted by American Energy Technology (“AETC”), a US based technical graphite specialist, using their own proprietary thermal process that differs from the chemical-based approach  employed by Alkeemia.  The AETC relationship has since evolved to introduce Blencowe a range of valuable niche offtake opportunities, including testing with US Dept of Defence and the EU SAFELOOP initiative. 

Blencowe believes that engagement with Alkeemia has the potential to develop in a similar manner providing a gateway to European downstream markets.  With AETC and Alkeemia utilising different purification methodologies, the Company is also broadening its downstream optionality across multiple high-purity processing routes. 

Figure 1:  Purification testing on Orom-Cross products.

Future Relationship

Blencowe and Alkeemia have identified areas of mutual technical and commercial interest and are continuing discussions regarding potential future collaboration.

The ability to deliver ultra-high-purity graphite products through a European-based purification route adds further upside potential to the DFS economics by expanding access to higher-margin, supply-constrained end markets. Engagement with specialist European processors such as Alkeemia also provides valuable technical validation and supports broader dialogue with a wider range of downstream customers and strategic end users, particularly within Europe.

Cameron Pearce, Blencowe’s Executive Chairman commented: “These purification results are a significant milestone for Orom-Cross and once again demonstrate that our graphite can achieve the very highest purity levels required for specialist applications, including defence, nuclear and strategic energy uses where quality and supply security are critical.  It also opens the potential for a valuable new partnership to develop.

Achieving 99.99% carbon content through a non-Chinese, European-based purification route materially enhances the strategic value of Orom-Cross. It positions the project not only as a large-scale, low-cost graphite development, but also as a credible contributor to Western critical mineral supply chains.

Importantly, this work adds further upside potential to the economics outlined in our DFS by broadening access to higher-margin, supply-constrained markets. Combined with the scale we continue to demonstrate through drilling, this reinforces Orom-Cross as a long-life, strategically relevant asset as we advance funding and offtake discussions.” 

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