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eURoPe

Europe, Australia

make perfect match

ooking back on the past year’s swarm of Parkin, whose company operates in Spain, to reasons such as securing the supply chain
LIPOs to the ASX, it was abundantly clear said Australian juniors can reap benefits from in terms of where these materials are coming
that Australian-based projects once again European government initiatives which wel- from.”
dominated the new resource floats joining come foreign investments. European Metals Holdings Ltd executive
the market. “When you think of the European Union, chairman Keith Coughlan said those who not
However, European opportunities are in- there has been a lot of support [for resources] seeing the opportunities in Europe for ASX
creasingly rearing their head on the market through the likes of the European Battery Alli- juniors need to be patient and trust the pro-
with four companies planting their IPO flag ance…that does filter its way down,” he said. cess.
on the continent and others rushing to invest “What we’re really seeing is that there has “The EU is absolutely focused on mak-
in its burgeoning battery minerals space. been a long understanding of the critical re- ing this happen, but it does take time to filter
Sandfire Resources Ltd received foreign quirement for raw materials in Europe and down to the project itself,” he said.
investment approval for its purchase of the it’s underpinning their future and moving to a “At the end of the day, if you look at the
MATSA copper mining complex in Spain for greener economy. The populous is starting EU’s commitment, they’re not going to com-
$US1.86 billion approved in late December. to harness that.” mit [the money they have] on a green energy
The binding deal with Trafigura is due for The EU’s focus on promoting a future-fac- stimulus package and then have to rely on
completion this quarter. Managing director ing mining industry, as prevalent by the 2021 other parts of the world – notably China – for
Karl Simich noted the efficiency of the gov- United Nations Climate Change Conference a key element in the supply chain for this new
ernments in supporting the deal. in Glasgow last year, highlighted the conti- industry. This is why they are committed to
Last month Adriatic Metals Plc completed nent’s current dependency of foreign supply developing their own critical raw materials.
a $US142.5 million debt package with Orion chains. “The demand for lithium in Europe is go-
for its Vares silver project in Bosnia-Herze- The US has found itself in the same boat, ing to grow quicker than anywhere else in the
govina. with its Geological Survey highlighting the world for the foreseeable future and there’s
These are just two of the ongoing success importance of the battery elements it contin- simply not enough production.”
stories for ASX companies operating in Eu- ues to import, with zinc and nickel recently George, who was an exchange student
rope. Despite this, many investors still hold added to its official list of critical minerals. in Sweden in his formative years, has aptly
their wallets in hesitation and harbour a belief Altamin Ltd managing director Geraint returned to the country through his work with
that Europe is a red-tape laden nightmare for Harris, who joined the panel remotely from Alicanto.
getting projects off the ground, “I went down the Sala mine
perhaps spurred by strict environ- in Sweden about 25 years ago
mental requirements. and it has virtually remained
Alicanto Minerals Ltd manag- untouched,” he said. “There are
ing director Peter George, one of opportunities like that in Europe
the panellists at Paydirt’s Europe just screaming for an ASX ex-
Unlocked event in November, ar- plorer to have a look.”
gued the red tape cliché was sim- Harris agreed but also sug-
ply “not fair”. gested a collaboration with
“I’ve spent a large part of my Australian leadership and Euro-
career in both Australia and Swe- pean educational institutions to
den, and I would actually put them address labour shortages.
on par in terms of the amount of “Italian universities are strong.
green and red tape involved in There’s also been a buoyant in-
getting a project up and started,” dustrial minerals industry there
he said. for a long, long time,” he said.
“Going back to the 1980s, Paydirt’s Europe Unlocked welcomed (from second left) “There are young people go-
some of Australia’s practices in Alicanto’s Peter George, Infinity Lithium’s Ryan Parkin and ing through disciplines such as
the mining sector were pretty European Metals’ Keith Coughlan, as well as Altamin’s earth sciences in these univer-
shocking to be fair. But the indus- Geraint Harris, who joined the panel remotely sities in Europe – not from the
try has really got its act together traditional mining universities
on the environmental and general we would have seen 20 years
ESG front. the UK, pointed out that Europe has recently ago, but ones that are slightly off the radar.”
“Sweden is no different with Tier-1 min- had to source up to 95% of some materials
ing jurisdictions and a really well educated from China, a scenario which initiatives such – Fraser Palamara
populous that understands how things work. as the European Raw Materials Alliance is
They want to live in a nice part of the world so seeking to change and, in doing so, create
there is a requirement to make sure you do opportunities for Australian companies. Watch the full replay on Paydirt TV
the right thing by the environment and local “Europe is very much like positioning a
people.” surfboard in the sweet spot and waiting for
Infinity Lithium Ltd managing director Ryan the wave,” he said. “That wave is coming due

aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT FeBRUaRY 2022 Page 71