Namibia Critical Metals Inc. ("Namibia Critical Metals" or the "Company" or "NCMI") (TSXV:NMI)(OTCQB:NMREF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Niels Verbaan, PEng, MEng, MSc, FCIM, as Vice President, Metallurgy, responsible for leading metallurgical development of the Company's Lofdal Heavy Rare Earth Project in Namibia.
Niels is a recognized leader in hydrometallurgical process development, with over 25 years of experience advancing complex metallurgical flowsheets, from concept, through pilot scale, and feasibility. Niels has overseen many REE projects through all study phases (PEA, PFS and FS). He most recently served as Senior Director, Technical Services (Hydrometallurgy) at SGS Lakefield, the world's leading metallurgical testing, inspection, and certification company. Niels' last day at SGS is May 8, and he transitions to NCMI on May 11.
In this role, Niels will oversee all metallurgical test work, flowsheet development, pilot programs, and process optimization for Lofdal, with a focus on maximizing recovery of critical heavy rare earth elements, particularly dysprosium ("Dy") and terbium ("Tb"), and delivering a robust, scalable process suitable for downstream separation.
Darrin Campbell, President of Namibia Critical Metals, commented:
"We are very pleased to welcome Niels to Namibia Critical Metals at a pivotal stage in the advancement of the Lofdal Project.
Niels brings a rare combination of deep rare earth expertise and hands-on execution experience. He has been directly involved in the metallurgical development of many of the world's leading rare earth projects - including Lofdal - and has a proven track record in metallurgical flowsheet design, optimization of pilot plant operations, and process audits of complex hydrometallurgical systems.
His appointment materially strengthens our ability to deliver a robust, financeable DFS and positions Lofdal to advance toward development with a high degree of technical confidence, in close collaboration with our Japanese partners. This is an important step in unlocking the full value of Lofdal as a future supplier of dysprosium and terbium to global magnet supply chains."
About Mr. Niels Verbaan
Niels holds master's degrees in mining engineering (Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands) and Hydrometallurgy (McGill University) and has over 25 years of experience in the minerals industry. His experience includes hydrometallurgical process development across rare earth and critical mineral projects globally, including involvement in test work programs for numerous advanced rare earth deposits such as Lofdal, Foxtrot, Strange Lake, Nechalacho, Wicheeda Lake, Mountain Pass, and Serra Verde. Niels has authored over 50 technical papers and presentations and holds three patents related to the processing of rare earth elements, rare metals and seabed minerals.
His expertise includes:
· Design, construction, and operation of complex hydrometallurgical pilot plants with strong interest and focus on rare earth elements
· Solvent extraction and separation technologies across multiple critical metals systems
· Due diligence and independent technical review of metallurgical flowsheets
· Development of processing routes for rare earths, scandium, niobium, and battery materials (nickel, cobalt, manganese, vanadium, etc.).
Niels is a Professional Engineer (Ontario), Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum (CIM), and a recipient of the MetSoc Sherritt Hydrometallurgy Award. He currently serves as the 2nd Vice President of MetSoc (Metallurgical Society of CIM).
Source: www.juniorminingnetwork.com
Aleksei Andrievskii is the founder of the ANDRIEVSKII SEA WEALTH family office in Cyprus, a member of the advisory board at Bendura Bank AG, Liechtenstein