Horizonte Minerals Plc strengthen its management team with the appointment of Mr. Fernando Marino as its Operations Director for the Araguaia Nickel Project ("Araguaia" or "the Project"). Fernando has over 35 years of experience in the resources industry, with a strong track record of ramping up and operating mining operations in Brazil. He worked across a range of mining operations for Vale in Brazil, including as Director of Operations at Onça Puma, a ferronickel operation in Para state located approximately 250 km from Araguaia.

During his time at Onça Puma, he managed the initial ramp-up phase and subsequently implemented improvements to the original furnace design in conjunction with Hatch (Araguaia's furnace vendor). Additionally, he led a comprehensive review of the operational, maintenance and safety procedures, resulting in a record annual production of 25,000 tonnes of nickel, without any lost-time accidents. Prior to joining Horizonte, Fernando was Executive Manager at Vale's Base Metals South Atlantic operations, and previously managed the Salobo copper mine and plant.