EUROPEAN CRITICAL RAW MATERIALS PROJECTS
Leading Edge Materials owns an exceptional portfolio of critical raw materials assets strategically positioned within the European Union—as the region seeks to urgently build CRM supply chains. Our projects stand out for their strategic importance, and we are focused on bringing them into production.
EUROPE'S MOST ADVANCED HEAVY RARE EARTH ELEMENTS PROJECT
Ownership: 100% Leading Edge Materials Corp
The Norra Kärr project is a globally significant deposit of heavy rare earth elements (HREE), strategically located in southern Sweden. It is recognized for its unusual enrichment in Dysprosium (Dy) and Terbium (Tb)—critical HREEs in the production of permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and other advanced technologies, including defense applications.
Current Status (Recent and Near-Term Developments)
Leading Edge Materials is actively advancing the Norra Kärr project through permitting and project development, specifically a mining lease application and Pre-feasibility Study workstreams.
Project History
The Norra Kärr deposit was discovered by Tasman Metals (a predecessor company to Leading Edge Materials) in 2009. Since its discovery, the project has undergone extensive exploration, including diamond drilling, resource definition, metallurgical test work, and technical and economic studies. The project received a Mining Lease in 2013, which was later subject to legal challenges and ultimately rescinded by the Swedish Supreme Administrative Court in 2016 due to procedural issues related to the environmental permit assessment process. Leading Edge Materials has since undertaken significant work to address previous concerns, leading to the substantially revised project, with 65% smaller footprint, simplified activities with significantly less environmental impact and increased sustainability through making products from the majority of the materials extracted.
Resource Overview
Norra Kärr is characterized by an alkaline intrusive complex hosting eudialyte-group minerals, which are the primary source of rare earth elements and zirconium. The deposit is particularly notable for its high proportion of valuable HREEs relative to total rare earth oxides (TREO).
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Indicated Resources: Approximately 110 million tonnes at an average grade of 0.5% TREO.
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Heavy Rare Earth Enrichment: A significant characteristic of Norra Kärr is its high ratio of HREE to TREO, with HREEs (including Yttrium) accounting for approximately 52% of the total rare earth content. This includes particularly valuable elements like Dysprosium, Terbium, Europium, and Yttrium.
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By-Product Potential: In addition to rare earths, the deposit contains significant concentrations of zirconium (Zr), niobium (Nb), hafnium (Hf), and nepheline syenite, which have potential as valuable by-products, enhancing the project's overall economics.
Infrastructure Overview
Norra Kärr is situated in a region with well-developed infrastructure, which offers significant advantages for project development:
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Location: Southern Sweden, Norra Kärr is located ~ 45 km north-northeast of Jönköping and 45km south-southwest of Mjölby. The project site is around 240 km south-west of Stockholm.
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Power Supply: Access to renewable power.
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Logistics: Adjacent to the E4, major road corridor, ~ 45 km to a potential rail connection at Mjölby, with the nearest container port at Norrköping a further 73 km by rail.
EUROPE'S PRODUCTION-READY GRAPHITE MINE
Ownership: 100% Leading Edge Materials Corp
Woxna Graphite is one of the few fully constructed and permitted graphite production facilities in the European region. Located in central Sweden, Woxna is strategically positioned to supply the European market with high-quality flake graphite, a critical raw material essential for the lithium-ion battery anodes and various industrial applications. Woxna’s processing plant can produce 10,000 tonnes of flake graphite concentrate annually with scope for expansion. Woxna's operational readiness and access to renewable electricity provide a unique advantage in delivering sustainable graphite production to European markets.
Current Status (Recent and Near-Term Developments)
Leading Edge Materials is actively assessing options to maximize the value of the Woxna Graphite asset including a possible restart of production.
In the near term, technical studies are ongoing which will provide the basis for a new business plan and the possibility for raising green finance for a restart of production.
Project History
The Woxna mine and processing plant were originally constructed in the mid-1990s. Leading Edge Materials (then Flinders Resources) acquired the project in 2011 and invested in refurbishing and restarting the operation. Production of flake graphite concentrate commenced in 2014, demonstrating the operational capability of the plant and the quality of the Woxna graphite. The facility was subsequently placed on care and maintenance in 2015 to allow the company to focus on optimizing the project for the emerging battery anode market and to conserve resources while graphite market conditions evolved. Significant work has been undertaken on metallurgical testing and process development to produce spherical purified graphite (SPG) and other value-added products.
Resource Overview
The Woxna mining hosts a significant graphite resource.
Measured and Indicated Resources: 2.61 million tonnes at an average grade of 9.13% graphitic carbon (Cg).
Inferred Resources: 0.39 million tonnes at an average grade of 8.72% graphitic carbon (Cg).
Infrastructure Overview
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Woxna benefits from excellent existing infrastructure:
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Processing: A fully constructed plant with a nameplate capacity of 100,000 tonnes of ore per annum.
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Power Supply: Connected to the Swedish national grid, which is predominantly powered by renewables.
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Water Access: Ample water supply available for processing needs.
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Road and Rail Access: Well-maintained road access to the site, with nearby rail connections facilitating efficient transport of products to European markets.
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Tailings Management Facility: A permitted and operational tailings management facility with capacity for future production.
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Support Facilities: On-site offices, workshops, and laboratory facilities.
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Skilled Workforce: Located in a region with a history of mining and industrial activity, providing access to a skilled local workforce.
DISCOVERING CRITICAL BATTERY METALS IN THE EU
Ownership: 51% current ownership with defined pathway
to 90% based on development milestones
Leading Edge Materials' Bihor Sud Nickel-Cobalt exploration project represents a strategic initiative to discover and develop critical battery metals within the European Union. Located in the historic mining region of the Apuseni Mountains, within the prolific Tethyan Belt known for significant polymetallic deposits, this project targets high-grade nickel and cobalt mineralization – materials essential for the rapidly expanding electric vehicle and energy storage industries. The project is being advanced through a strategic exploration alliance, where Leading Edge Materials holds a 51% interest with a defined pathway to increase ownership up to 90% based on exploration and development milestones. This approach allows for staged investment and leverages local expertise.
Current Status (Recent and Near-Term Developments)
The Bihor Sud exploration project is actively progressing with a focused field program designed to delineate drill targets and assess the mineralization potential. Near-term developments will focus on executing the initial drill program, analyzing assay results to guide further drilling, and advancing the understanding of the geological controls on mineralization to expand known zones and identify new targets within the license area.
Project History
The Bihor Sud exploration license area is situated within a region with a long history of mining activity, dating back to Roman times, primarily focused on base and precious metals. Historical records and remnant workings indicate past exploration and small-scale mining for nickel and cobalt, although systematic modern exploration for these specific commodities has been limited. Leading Edge Materials, through its local joint venture partner, secured the exploration license recognizing the untapped potential for significant battery metal discoveries based on historical data and the favorable geological setting within the Tethyan metallogenic belt. The current exploration program builds upon this historical knowledge with modern exploration techniques.
Resource Overview
As an early-stage exploration project, a formal NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate has not yet been established for the Bihor Sud project. The primary objective of the current and ongoing exploration programs is to delineate zones of significant nickel and cobalt mineralization that could potentially lead to future resource definition.
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Target Mineralization: The project targets polymetallic vein and breccia-hosted mineralization, with a focus on high-grade nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co) sulphides and arsenides. Associated minerals can include gold (Au), silver (Ag), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn).
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Exploration Focus: Initial exploration has concentrated on verifying and expanding historically known mineralized zones accessible through old adits and surface showings. The high-grade nature of the samples collected to date is highly encouraging for the potential definition of economically viable deposits.
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Untapped Potential: Much of the license area remains underexplored with modern techniques, offering significant discovery potential beyond the historically known occurrences.
Infrastructure Overview
The Bihor Sud project benefits from its location within a region with existing infrastructure, which supports exploration activities and could facilitate future development:
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Location: Situated in the Apuseni Mountains of western Romania, a region with established communities and road networks.
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Access: The license area is accessible via public roads and local forestry tracks.
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Local Workforce and Services: Proximity to towns and villages provides access to a local workforce and basic support services for exploration activities. The local joint venture partner also operates a dolomite mine in the vicinity, offering shared resources, local knowledge, and established relationships.
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Power and Water: Local power and water sources are available in the region, though specific connections for a potential mine development would require further study.
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Proximity to European Markets: Located within the European Union, any future production would benefit from direct access to the growing European battery manufacturing market, reducing transportation costs and logistical complexities compared to non-EU sources.
While substantial infrastructure development would be required for a full-scale mining operation, the existing regional infrastructure provides a solid foundation for the current exploration phase and reduces initial logistical hurdles.