Verde AgriTech Ltd (TSX: “
NPK”)
("
Verde” or the “
Company”) is
pleased to announce that the National Land Transport Agency
(“
ANTT”, from Agência Nacional de Transportes
Terrestres) and the Brazilian Ministry of Infrastructure have
authorized Verde to build a railway branch line (the
“
Railway”) to transport up to 50 million tonnes
per year (“
Mtpy”) of Verde’s multinutrient
potassium products, BAKS® and K Forte®, sold internationally as
Super Greensand®, (the “
Product”).
The Railway will connect Verde’s production facilities to a
railway node part of the Ferrovia Centro Atlântica
("FCA"), effectively linking the municipalities of
São Gotardo and Ibiá, both in the state of Minas Gerais. FCA is the
largest railroad network in Brazil, interconnecting seven states
and the Federal District. The FCA railways are the main freight
route between the Southeast, Northeast and Midwest regions in
Brazil.1
“Verde's mining sites hold Brazil's largest identified potash
deposit, boasting resources of 3.32 billion tonnes, compliant with
the NI 43-101 standard.2 By connecting our production facilities to
the country's main potash consumption hubs, the Railway will
provide farmers with access to a more reliable and increased
Product supply. This represents another important milestone in
Verde's dual objectives: reduce Brazil's dependence on imported
potash and expand Verde's capability to every year capture up to
6.0 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year,3 thereby
making a true contribution to mitigating climate change," commented
Cristiano Veloso, Verde’s founder and CEO.
Verde’s Carbon Capture Potential
With Verde’s carbon capture technology, the Company’s current
installed production capacity of 3.00 million tonnes per year has
the capability to capture and offset up to 0.36 million tonnes of
CO2 annually.
In the Company's 50.00 million tonnes production scenario, we
aim to emerge as one of the world's largest carbon capture
projects, with a substantial total of 6.00 million tonnes of CO2
permanently removed from the atmosphere each year. Verde's 3.32
billion tonnes of mineral resources hold the total carbon removal
potential of 0.40 gigatonnes of CO2.
Railway’s Next Steps
With the authorization of ANTT and the Brazilian Ministry of
Infrastructure granted, a contract between ANTT and Verde
authorizing the exploration of the Railway in a private regime
shall be subsequently signed. After that, the Company will start
the environmental and engineering studies for this project.
Based on the studies for the Pre-Feasibility Study filed by the
Company in 2022 (the “PFS”), Verde has determined
the viability of using road haulage for distribution logistics of
up to 23Mtpy of Product. A rail spur will only be necessary for
logistics of production exceeding such amount.
Railway’s Capital Expenditure
The PFS estimates a CAPEX of US$283.02 million4
for the construction of a railway from São Gotardo to Ibiá to
transport up to 50Mtpy of Product. The total CAPEX estimated in the
PFS for the 50Mtpy Scenario is US$ 553.99 million, which includes
the railway branch line, processing costs, road improvement,
licensing, technical studies and projects, land purchase,
equipment, personnel mobilization and demobilization, and a 15%
contingency amount.
The table below shows the summary of the
financial-economic analysis for the 50Mtpy Scenario:
50Mtpy Scenario |
Description |
Unit |
Value |
Proven and probable reserves |
million tonnes |
1,297.66 |
K2O grade |
% |
9.19 |
Capex |
US$ million |
553.99 |
Operating cost |
US$/tonne of Product |
8.06 |
General and Administrative Expenses |
US$/tonne of Product |
2.01 |
Sustaining capital |
US$/tonne of Product |
0.50 |
|
Product composition |
Unit |
K2O |
K2O + S |
K2O + S +
Micronutrients |
Product Sale Price |
US$/tonne of Product |
74.05 |
84.79 |
92.05 |
NPV after-tax |
US$ billion |
9.34 |
11.50 |
13.54 |
NPV discount rate |
% |
8.00 |
8.00 |
8.00 |
IRR after-tax |
% |
167.86 |
196.19 |
227.08 |
Cumulative Cash Flow |
US$ billion |
22.74 |
28.04 |
32.98 |
As stated in the press release published by the
Company on May 16, 2022,5 FCA, the railway operator, is expected to
assume the investment costs for the construction of the railway
branch. Verde is studying the possibility of potential partnerships
for technical support in the Railway implementation and logistics
operation.
About Verde AgriTech
Verde is an agricultural technology Company that
produces potash fertilizers. Our purpose is to improve the health
of all people and the planet. Rooting our solutions in nature, we
make agriculture healthier, more productive, and profitable.
Verde is a fully integrated Company: it mines
and processes its main feedstock from its 100% owned mineral
properties, then sells and distributes the Product.
Verde’s focus on research and development has
resulted in one patent and eight patents pending. Among its
proprietary technologies are Cambridge Tech, 3D Alliance, MicroS
Technology, N Keeper, and Bio Revolution.6 Currently, the Company
is fully licensed to produce up to 2.8 million tonnes per year of
its multinutrient potassium fertilizers K Forte® and BAKS®, sold
internationally as Super Greensand®. In 2022, it became Brazil's
largest potash producer by capacity.7 Verde has a combined measured
and indicated mineral resource of 1.47 billion tonnes at 9.28% K2O
and an inferred mineral resource of 1.85 billion tonnes at 8.60%
K2O (using a 7.5% K2O cut-off grade).8 This amounts to 295.70
million tonnes of potash in K2O. For context, in 2021 Brazil’s
total consumption of potash in K2O was 6.57 million9.
Brazil ranks second in global potash demand and
is its single largest importer, currently depending on external
sources for over 97% of its potash needs. In 2022, potash accounted
for approximately 3% of all Brazilian imports by dollar
value.10
Corporate Presentation
For further information on the Company, please view
shareholders’ deck:
https://verde.docsend.com/view/wj5mmrkeegd8qfz5
Investors Newsletter
Subscribe to receive the Company’s updates at:
http://cloud.marketing.verde.ag/InvestorsSubscription
The last edition of the newsletter can be accessed at:
https://bit.ly/InvestorNL_July2023
Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking
Statements
All Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resources
estimates reported by the Company were estimated in accordance with
the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and the Canadian Institute
of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Definition Standards (May 10,
2014). These standards differ significantly from the requirements
of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mineral Resources
which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic
viability.
This document contains "forward-looking
information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation
and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United
States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This
information and these statements, referred to herein as
"forward-looking statements" are made as of the date of this
document. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or
future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions,
expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but
are not limited to, statements with respect to:
- the estimated amount and grade of
Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves;
- the estimated amount of CO2 removal
per tonne of rock;
- the PFS representing a viable
development option for the Project;
- estimates of the capital costs of
constructing mine facilities and bringing a mine into production,
of sustaining capital and the duration of financing payback
periods;
- the estimated amount of future
production, both produced and sold;
- timing of disclosure for the PFS
and recommendations from the Special Committee;
- the Company’s competitive position
in Brazil and demand for potash; and,
- estimates of operating costs and
total costs, net cash flow, net present value and economic returns
from an operating mine.
Any statements that express or involve
discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs,
plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance
(often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects",
"anticipates", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "envisages",
"assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives" or
variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or
results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur
or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar
expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be
forward-looking statements.
All forward-looking statements are based on
Verde's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various
assumptions made by them and information currently available to
them. The most significant assumptions are set forth above, but
generally these assumptions include, but are not limited to:
- the presence of and continuity of
resources and reserves at the Project at estimated grades;
- the estimation of CO2 removal based
on the chemical and mineralogical composition of assumed resources
and reserves;
- the geotechnical and metallurgical
characteristics of rock conforming to sampled results; including
the quantities of water and the quality of the water that must be
diverted or treated during mining operations;
- the capacities and durability of
various machinery and equipment;
- the availability of personnel,
machinery and equipment at estimated prices and within the
estimated delivery times;
- currency exchange rates;
- Super Greensand® and K Forte® sales
prices, market size and exchange rate assumed;
- appropriate discount rates applied
to the cash flows in the economic analysis;
- tax rates and royalty rates
applicable to the proposed mining operation;
- the availability of acceptable
financing under assumed structure and costs;
- anticipated mining losses and
dilution;
- reasonable contingency
requirements;
- success in realizing proposed
operations;
- receipt of permits and other
regulatory approvals on acceptable terms; and
- the fulfilment of environmental
assessment commitments and arrangements with local
communities.
Although management considers these assumptions
to be reasonable based on information currently available to it,
they may prove to be incorrect. Many forward-looking statements are
made assuming the correctness of other forward looking statements,
such as statements of net present value and internal rates of
return, which are based on most of the other forward-looking
statements and assumptions herein. The cost information is also
prepared using current values, but the time for incurring the costs
will be in the future and it is assumed costs will remain stable
over the relevant period.
By their very nature, forward-looking statements
involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and
specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections
and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that
assumptions do not reflect future experience. We caution readers
not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as
a number of important factors could cause the actual outcomes to
differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives,
expectations, anticipations, estimates assumptions and intentions
expressed in such forward-looking statements. These risk factors
may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions and
estimates expressed above do not occur as forecast, but
specifically include, without limitation: risks relating to
variations in the mineral content within the material identified as
Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves from that predicted;
variations in rates of recovery and extraction; the geotechnical
characteristics of the rock mined or through which infrastructure
is built differing from that predicted, the quantity of water that
will need to be diverted or treated during mining operations being
different from what is expected to be encountered during mining
operations or post closure, or the rate of flow of the water being
different; developments in world metals markets; risks relating to
fluctuations in the Brazilian Real relative to the Canadian dollar;
increases in the estimated capital and operating costs or
unanticipated costs; difficulties attracting the necessary work
force; increases in financing costs or adverse changes to the terms
of available financing, if any; tax rates or royalties being
greater than assumed; changes in development or mining plans due to
changes in logistical, technical or other factors; changes in
project parameters as plans continue to be refined; risks relating
to receipt of regulatory approvals; delays in stakeholder
negotiations; changes in regulations applying to the development,
operation, and closure of mining operations from what currently
exists; the effects of competition in the markets in which Verde
operates; operational and infrastructure risks and the additional
risks described in Verde's Annual Information Form filed with SEDAR
in Canada (available at www.sedar.com) for the year ended December
31, 2021. Verde cautions that the foregoing list of factors that
may affect future results is not exhaustive.
When relying on our forward-looking statements
to make decisions with respect to Verde, investors and others
should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other
uncertainties and potential events. Verde does not undertake to
update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that
may be made from time to time by Verde or on our behalf, except as
required by law.
For additional information please
contact:
Cristiano Veloso, Founder,
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Tel: +55 (31) 3245 0205; Email:
investor@verde.ag
www.verde.ag | www.investor.verde.ag
_______________1 Source: https://www.fcatransforma.com.br/ 2
Verde had commissioned an independent mineral resource and reserve
study under the Canadian National Instrument 43-101, which has
established a combined measured and indicated mineral resource of
1.47 billion tonnes at 9.28% K2O and an inferred mineral resource
of 1.85 billion tonnes at 8.60% K2O (using a 7.5% K2O cut-off
grade). This amounts to 295.70 million tonnes of potash in K2O. For
further details, See the Pre-Feasibility Study at:
https://investor.verde.ag/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/NI-43-101-Pre-Feasibility-Technical-Report-for-the-Cerrado-Verde-Project.pdf3
See “Verde’s Products Remove Carbon Dioxide From the Air”.
Available at:
https://investor.verde.ag/verdes-products-remove-carbon-dioxide-from-the-air/
4 For further information, please see page 264 of the PFS:
https://investor.verde.ag/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/NI-43-101-Pre-Feasibility-Technical-Report-for-the-Cerrado-Verde-Project.pdf
5 See the press release at:
https://investor.verde.ag/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Verde-AgriTech-Press-Release-Pre-Feasibility-Results-May-16-2022.pdf
6 Learn more about our technologies:
https://verde.docsend.com/view/yvthnpuv8jx6g4r9 7 See
the release at:
https://investor.verde.ag/verde-starts-ramp-up-of-plant-2s-second-stage-to-reach-production-of-2-4mtpy/8
As per the National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for
Mineral Projects within Canada (“NI 43 -101”), filed on SEDAR in
2017. See the Pre-Feasibility Study at:
https://investor.verde.ag/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NI-43-101-Pre-Feasibility-Technical-Report-Cerrado-Verde-Project.pdf
9 Source: Brazilian Fertilizer Mixers Association (from "Associação
Misturadores de Adubo do Brasil", in Portuguese).10 Source:
Brazilian Comex Stat, available at:
http://comexstat.mdic.gov.br/en/geral
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