Talga Group Ltd. provided an update on permitting advances for its 100% owned integrated graphite mine and battery anode project in northern Sweden. In May 2020, Talga submitted applications for an environmental permit and exploitation concession for its 100,000tpa graphite mining operation at Nunasvaara South, part of the Vittangi Graphite Project. The main hearing for the environmental permit application commenced before the Swedish Land and Environment Court ("Court") on 31 January 2023 and concluded 22 February 2023. On the final day of the hearing, the Court confirmed it will publish its decision on 5 April 2023. The Court's decision will be subject to certain rights of appeal. Following the granting of the environmental permit, the state mining inspectorate is expected to hand down its decision on the exploitation concession application. Parallel to its mining permits, Talga submitted building licence and environmental permit applications for the establishment of a 19,500tpa commercial battery anode manufacturing plant ("Refinery") in the Luleå Industrial Park. Following review, Luleå Municipality has now granted building permits for Talga's Refinery production facilities, with the decision to come into force on 24 March 2023 (pending any appeals). The Refinery environmental permit application is progressing through the Court's standard process, including Talga's request for permission for early construction. A positive ruling on Talga's request
would allow the Company to immediately commence early works at the anode refinery site, potentially at the start of second half of 2023.