Blackstone has entered into a MOU with Vietnam Rare Earths JSC and Australian Strategic Materials to cooperate on opportunities to develop a fully integrated rare earths mine to metals value chain in Vietnam
Ta Khoa Project Location. (Credit: Blackstone Minerals)
Blackstone Minerals Limited (“Blackstone” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that our Ta Khoa Project (“TKP”) was included in the Vietnamese National Mineral Master Plan which was recently approved by the Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister, Tran Hong Ha.
The National Mineral Master Plan details Vietnam’s mineral development strategy up until 2030 with a vision to 2050. The Master Plan is a key document and reference point in the approval of major mineral projects in Vietnam. The Master Plan aims to closely manage, exploit and process mineral resources with the objective to value add in country as much as possible to ensure Vietnam maximises the value generated from their natural resources. The Master Plan focuses on environmental protection and climate change adaptation to move Vietnam towards the goal of achieving carbon neutrality.
The Ta Khoa Project aligns with Vietnam’s objective for maximising value creation from their natural resources and Blackstone is pleased that both Ta Khoa Nickel (“TKN”) and Ta Khoa Refinery (“TKR”) projects were included in the approved National Mineral Master Plan, demonstrating that these projects are considered as ‘significant value’ for Vietnam.
The inclusion of the projects in the Master Plan was an important step in the permitting and licensing of our projects. For the Provincial Government to advance the approval and issuing of the Investment Policies (“IP”) for both TKR and TKN our projects needed to be in the National Mineral Master Plan.
Blackstone Minerals’ Managing Director, Scott Williamson, commented: “Congratulations to Vietnam on finalising and approving this important Master Plan which will help facilitate the development of mineral projects throughout Vietnam. Blackstone is very pleased to have our Ta Khoa Project included in the Master Plan and are honoured that Vietnam are supportive of our strategy to develop a vertically integrated nickel mining and refining business. This was a critical step in the permitting of our projects and we look forward to making significant progress in this area”
Source: Company Press Release