Electric Metals (USA) Limited (the “Company”) (TSXV: EML | OTCQB: EMUSF) is a U.S.-based company focused on advancing critical mineral assets essential to the electrification of everything. Its flagship asset, the Emily Manganese Project in Minnesota, is the highest-grade manganese deposit in North America. This world-class resource is central to the Company’s strategy to become a domestic producer of high-value, high-purity manganese chemical and metal products—serving the electric vehicle, defense, technology, and industrial sectors, while supporting American manufacturing and national security objectives. The Company also holds non-core silver assets in Nevada.
As part of our long-term vision, Electric Metals is actively evaluating strategic acquisition opportunities that align with our mission to be a leading domestic supplier of high-purity manganese products. These initiatives are aimed at enhancing shareholder value, strengthening the U.S. critical minerals supply chain, and accelerating our impact on the clean energy transition.
A May 2024 resource estimate using a 10% cut-off grade outlined approximately 6.2 million tonnes of inferred resources at 19.3% manganese and approximately 4.9 million tonnes of indicated resources at 17.5% manganese. The Company is planning a 500,000 tonne-per-year underground mining operation, supporting a mine life of at least 20 years based on current resources. Based on additional drilling records and known geology, the Company believes the actual resource is at least double the reported size. A Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) is currently underway, with completion expected in Q2 2025.
High-purity manganese sulfate monohydrate (HPMSM) is a critical material used in lithium-ion battery cathodes for electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and advanced electronics. Manganese is also essential to military applications, particularly in high-strength steel and advanced energy systems used in defense technologies. Yet today, the U.S. has no active manganese mines or domestic processing facilities. Alarmingly, China controls approximately 96% of the global HPMSM market and 98% of the electrolytic manganese metal (EMM) market, underscoring a serious vulnerability in U.S. industrial and national security supply chains. In response, the U.S. government is prioritizing the development of critical mineral projects by accelerating permitting and providing funding support. Recently, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at investing in and expediting domestic mining and processing initiatives to reduce reliance on foreign—particularly Chinese—supply.
Electric Metals represents a clear and obvious solution to address this vulnerability and bring a cost-effective supply of manganese products onshore. Importantly, metallurgical testing conducted by Kemetco has confirmed the ability to produce HPMSM using conventional sulfuric acid leaching, with extraction rates exceeding 95% and effective removal of deleterious impurities. The Company plans to construct a 100,000 tonne-per-year HPMSM plant in the U.S. and has applied for government funding to support project advancement.