VANCOUVER, Dec. 7, 2017 /CNW/ - Leading Edge Materials
Corp. ("Leading Edge Materials") or (the Company") (TSXV:LEM)
(OTCQB: LEMIF) is pleased to share the recent findings of an in
depth study by the Swedish Agency for Growth Policy Analysis
(Tillväxtanalys) on the role Sweden can play in a future supply chain for a
range of high value critical raw materials including rare earth
elements, lithium, graphite and tungsten.
Leading Edge Materials holds significant mining and exploration
assets for such materials in Sweden, and is presently seeking a Swedish
listing on the Nasdaq First North market to allow for an increased
focus on the Nordic region (see press release dated 4th
October 2017).
The report, commissioned by the Swedish government and entitled
"Innovation-critical metals & minerals from extraction to
final product – how can the state support their development?"
provides a very positive view on the pivotal role Sweden can play a critical raw material supply
chain from mining through to recycling. Release of the report
coincided with an event in Stockholm hosted by the Swedish Minister for
Enterprise, Mikael Damberg, who
emphasized the enviable position of Sweden as an innovative high technology
country with a very active resources industry.
The Growth Analysis report outlines the future needs for
innovation-critical metals and minerals, and provides policy
recommendations for the Swedish Government on how to best stimulate
the development of an entire Swedish production chain from
extraction to finished product. A copy of the report can be
found at
http://www.tillvaxtanalys.se/in-english/publications/reports/reports/2017-11-23-innovation-critical-metals--minerals-from-extraction-to-final-product---how-can-the-state-support-their-development.html.
Blair Way, President and CEO,
stated "We commend the Swedish Government for taking a
long-range view on the mining and minerals industries, recognizing
that new materials in addition to current ones shall be mined and
recovered in Sweden in the near
future. Innovation critical metals and minerals are relatively
small volume but high value markets, yet they underpin the
development of very extensive value add supply chains in renewable
energy generation, storage and conservation. Many of these
materials are presently mined in an unsustainable way in other
parts of the world, and Sweden is
taking positive steps towards becoming a global leader in
sustainable mining of these new materials.
Leading Edge Materials presently receives significant support
from the Swedish Government through the agency Vinnova, which funds
collaborative research between companies, universities, research
institutes and public sector. The Company is pleased to
advise of the initiation of a fourth government funded project
entitled "Graphene Energy" which aims to apply graphene from
the Company's Woxna graphite facility to enhance the electrical
conductivity and the mechanical strength of lithium ion battery
anodes. Other project partners comprise 2D fab AB, VestaSi
AB, Ångström Advanced Battery Centre (ÅABC), Uppsala University (UU) and Mid Sweden University
(MIUN).
With the initiation of this latest project, the Company is now
collaborating in four Swedish government or European Commission
supported projects, demonstrating the broad spectrum of potential
markets for Woxna graphite:
- Vinnova Graphene Energy Project – Announced December 6th 2017
- Vinnova High Purity Graphite Battery Project – Natural
Swedish Graphite for Future Lithium Ion Batteries - Announced
16th October, 2017
- InnoEnergy Li Ion Battery Manufacturing Project –
Announced 27th July
2017
- Vinnova Graphene Composite Project – Graphene Modified
Composites for Long-Term and High-Temperature Applications -
Announced 8th June, 2017
These projects focus on sustainable high value applications for
Woxna graphite. They apply both proven technology, and
introduce innovative research to improve all aspects of the
materials.
Leading Edge Materials is fortunate to be working closely with
the Ångström Advanced Battery Centre ("ÅABC") at Uppsala University, headed by battery industry
leader Professor Kristina Edström. The Company's work with
the ÅABC provides an excellent example of the crossover between
mining and emerging technology as envisaged under the Growth
Analysis report and shall potentially allow for a deep and valuable
graphite supply chain to be established in Sweden, based on materials sustainably sourced
from the Woxna graphite mine.
On behalf of the Board,
"Blair Way"
Blair Way, President & CEO
About Leading Edge Materials
Leading Edge Materials was formed with our sights firmly focused
on the material demands of a once-in-a-generation revolution, as
the world shifts to the efficient production, storage and
preservation of low carbon energy. From the lithium batteries in
our electric vehicles to our ability to generate energy from the
sun, wind and waves LEM is focused on the green energy markets.
With a focus on Europe and assets
in innovation-rich Scandinavia, Leading Edge Materials is ideally
placed to play a pivotal role in the sustainable supply of critical
technology materials.
About Ångström Advanced Battery Centre (ÅABC),
The Ångström Advanced Battery Centre is the largest battery
research group in the Nordic region and is led by Professor
Kristina Edström, Uppsala University in Uppsula. The lab has
all necessary equipment for available for the project including
furnaces for purification, mills for powder processing, microscopes
(SEM and TEM), spectroscopic methods, XRD, a small pilot line for
electrode production and battery manufacturing, and more than 200
channels for cycling batteries testing. The group can manufacture
battery cells ranging from button cells, Swagelock cells, pouch
cells to 18560 size battery cells. ÅABC battery group recently
received SEK 27 million from the
Battery Fund, a research and development program focused on battery
reuse and recycling, and on vehicle batteries, run jointly by the
Swedish Energy Agency and the Swedish Environmental Protection
Agency.
About Vinnova
Vinnova is a Swedish government agency
working under the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation and acts as
the national contact agency for the EU Framework Program for
R&D. They promote sustainable growth by funding needs-driven
research and stimulating collaborations between companies,
universities, research institutes and public sector.
The TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider
(as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture
Exchange), accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of
this news release.
The qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101
for the Woxna project, Blair Way,
President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company,
and a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and
Metallurgy, has reviewed and verified the contents of this
release.
Forward-Looking Information. This news release may
contain forward-looking statements and information based on current
expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of
future performance or results. Such statements involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause
actual results, performance or achievements to be materially
different from those implied by such statements. Such statements
include but are not limited to, the Company's expectations
regarding graphite production at Woxna, the Company's preliminary
economic assessment on Woxna is no longer current or valid as a
result of the filing of a new NI 43-101 Technical Report effective
March 24, 2015, and the Company has
no plans to complete a new preliminary economic assessment, a
pre-feasibility or feasibility study on the project, as such there
is an increased risk of technical and economic failure for the
Woxna graphite project; unexpected geological conditions;
exploration activities to advance other critical material projects
of the Company for energy storage markets, delays in obtaining or
failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government
authorities. Although such statements are based on
management's reasonable assumptions, there are risk factors which
could cause the Company's actual results, performance or
achievements to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by the
forward-looking information contained herein. All forward-looking
information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary
statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or
update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce
the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking
information contained herein to reflect future results, events or
developments, except as required by law.
SOURCE Leading Edge Materials