Critical Metals Corp Confirms Metallurgical Test Work Results at Tanbreez Support Refinery JV in Romania
Rhea-AI Summary
Critical Metals Corp (Nasdaq: CRML) confirmed 2025 metallurgical test work at Fremantle successfully replicated the 2016 AMTEC/ALS results under independent review by Professor Tony Tang.
The program validated a dry magnetic separation flowsheet and a new high-intensity magnetic circuit (>12,000 gauss), produced an ultra-clean eudialyte concentrate and a secondary mixed TREEs concentrate, and completed independent elemental analyses.
Critical Metals acquired a 300–500 kg/hr Proof-of-Concept Pilot Plant for ~$2 million, targets commissioning in Q2 2026, plans weekly 10-ton eudialyte batches from mid-2026, and will feed design for a 50:50 JV with Nuclearelectrica to build a Romanian refinery.
Positive
- Replication of 2016 AMTEC/ALS metallurgical results confirmed
- Proof-of-Concept Pilot Plant sized at 300–500 kg/hr
- New high-intensity magnetic circuit operating at >12,000 gauss
- Targeted weekly 10-ton eudialyte batches for offtake from mid-2026
- 50:50 JV with Nuclearelectrica planned for Romanian refinery
Negative
- Proof-of-Concept Pilot Plant acquisition cost of approximately $2 million
- Pilot commissioning and pre-production outputs dependent on Q2 2026 timeline
- Deployment and operator training in Greenland are subject to Greenland Government approval
- Final commercial design requires at least one year of pilot-plant data before full-scale commissioning
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus 2 Up 1 Down
Peers show mixed moves: among momentum names, 2 are up and 1 is down, while CRML fell -12.58%, pointing to a largely stock-specific reaction.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 09 | JV term sheet | Positive | +6.0% | Announced 50/50 Romanian JV securing major Tanbreez offtake without new financing. |
| Nov 25 | Project legal update | Neutral | -1.1% | Court remanded Wolfsberg EIA decision for review without automatic new EIA requirement. |
| Nov 21 | Stockpile acquisition | Positive | -1.4% | All‑share deal for ultra‑high‑purity copper powder at a 40% premium to market. |
| Nov 04 | Environmental approval | Positive | +0.5% | EAMRA confirmed required geochemical test work for Tanbreez was complete. |
| Oct 22 | Advisory appointment | Positive | -7.5% | Appointed former NAVSUP leader to advise on defense supply chain and Tanbreez. |
Recent history shows several positive corporate milestones followed by mixed to negative price reactions, suggesting a tendency for the stock to sell off or underreact after good news.
Over the last few months, Critical Metals Corp reported several strategic milestones. On Oct 22, 2025 it added a senior naval logistics leader to its Advisory Board, yet shares fell 7.5%. On Nov 4, 2025 it secured key environmental approvals for Tanbreez, with a modest 0.5% gain. An all‑share acquisition of ultra‑high‑purity copper on Nov 21, 2025 and a Wolfsberg legal update on Nov 25, 2025 saw small declines. A major 50/50 Romanian JV term sheet on Dec 9, 2025 lifted shares 5.95%. Today’s metallurgical results further extend this Tanbreez and supply-chain build‑out narrative.
Regulatory & Risk Context
An active Form F-3 resale shelf dated 2025-10-20 allows a selling securityholder to resell up to 18,030,303 already-issued or warrant-linked shares. The company stated it would not receive proceeds from resales, only from any cash warrant exercises. A 424B3 prospectus on 2025-11-10 reflects usage of this shelf.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement detailed successful replication and enhancement of earlier Tanbreez metallurgical work, confirming high-quality rare earth concentrates and outlining a Proof-of-Concept Pilot Plant processing 300–500 kg/hr at a 1:200 scale to support a future 100 tons per hour operation. It ties into the recently announced Romanian refinery JV and prior environmental approvals. Investors may watch for feasibility updates, regulatory decisions in Greenland, pilot plant commissioning in 2Q 2026, and offtake progress.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Professor Tony Tang appointed as the independent reviewer of metallurgical test work, process design and associated studies
2016 AMTEC/ALS TREEs recovery results successfully replicated, with eudialyte and mixed-concentrate recoveries confirmed
Repeatability on 2016 AMTEC laboratory program demonstrated under the 2025 test work
Acquisition of 300~500 kg/hr Proof-of-Concept Pilot Plant for approximately
Integration of new high-intensity magnetic separation technology into the Proof-of-Concept Pilot Plant is expected to positively influence project economics and final flowsheet design
50:50 Joint Venture between Critical Metals Corp and Nuclearelectrica Romania will be designed collaboratively by both parties, informed by early concentrate production from the Proof-of-Concept Pilot Plant
NEW YORK, Dec. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Critical Metals Corp. (Nasdaq: CRML) (“Critical Metals Corp.” or the “Company”), a leading critical minerals mining company, today announced that the historical pilot work done by AMTEC / ALS has been successfully replicated in the 2025 test work program undertaken at Fremantle Metallurgy laboratories under the review of independent consultant Professor Tony Tang. Professor Tony Tang utilized a duplicate ore sample to that used in the original 2016 Tanbreez study.
“We are proud to receive more compelling results from our test work at Tanbreez, which continues to underscore the opportunities ahead for Critical Metals Corp,” said Tony Sage, CEO and Chairman of Critical Metals Corp. “This test work advances our plans for a pilot plant, which is a key milestone in the commercial roadmap for both Tanbreez and the rare earth refinery through our Romanian JV. Critical Metals Corp’s integrated mine-to-metals approach, positions us as one of the only companies advancing a fully Western-aligned rare earth supply chain focused on security of supply and strategic independence.”
During the replication of the 2016 metallurgical work completed by ALS/AMTEC, the laboratory team confirmed the original process flow sheet and demonstrated the ability to separate eudialyte, arfvedsonite, and feldspar into high-grade concentrates using a dry magnetic separation route. A second phase of the program applied the latest 2025 magnetic recovery technology from a leading global supplier of magnetic separation systems. The multistage, multi-roller high-intensity permanent rare-earth magnetic circuit—operating at more than 12,000 gauss—achieved an ultra-clean eudialyte final concentrate by further removing residual gangue material and generating a high-quality TREEs (Total Rare Earth Elements) concentrate. In addition, the process produced a secondary mixed concentrate containing significant TREEs that had not been recoverable using earlier generations of technology.
A complete metallurgical and elemental analysis of all rare earth elements was conducted by two independent laboratories to ensure accuracy, validate the results, and mitigate any potential laboratory-specific bias.
The successful application of the new high-gauss polishing roller technology has now been demonstrated and will be incorporated into the updated process flowsheet. This technology will also be replicated in the larger Proof-of-Concept Pilot Plant currently being procured by Critical Metals Corp.
The scalable Proof-of-Concept Pilot Plant is designed to process 300-500kg per hour of Tanbreez Kakortokite ore, reflecting run-of-mine (ROM) feed conditions and providing design data for the final production plant. Weekly production of 10-ton batches of eudialyte concentrate will serve as pre-production material for offtake partners, enabling them to customize their refinery circuits from mid-2026 onward. Once pre-production concentrate targets have been met, the Pilot Plant will be deployed in Greenland to support the training of Greenlandic operators and mining students in concentrator and mine operations. Both initiatives are subject to the Greenland Government’s approval. Critical Metals Corp is committed to employing and upskilling local personnel as part of its long-term operational strategy.
The Proof-of-Concept Pilot Plant will be a fully scalable facility incorporating with crushers, screens, magnetic separators and an onsite analytical laboratory. Critical Metals Corp expects the Proof-of-Concept Pilot Plant will commence operations during the second quarter of 2026.
Design data generated from the Proof-of-Concept Pilot Plant, operating at a 1:200 scale, will provide the basis for accurate final plant engineering and eliminate the typical scalability uncertainties that arise when moving directly from laboratory testing to full-scale design. This approach ensures that the Tanbreez project is engineered to operate at a run-of-mine (ROM) feed rate of 100 tons per hour, supported by pilot-plant performance data collected over at least one full year prior to commissioning the commercial-scale facility.
Critical Metals Corp is committed to delivering the highest-quality of rare earth products to its offtake partners, supported by ongoing collaboration with independent laboratories and independent verification of all metallurgical test work and processing methodologies
The updated results and design enhancements incorporating the new processing technology will now be integrated into the project’s economic modelling and feasibility study. This work is intended to position the Tanbreez project as a leading global source of high-grade rare earth concentrate for the planned joint-venture refinery to be developed in Romania by CRML and Nuclearelectrica, near Brașov in central Romania. The resulting concentrate is expected to enable the JV refinery to produce high-purity rare earth salts and metals (targeting
The Tanbreez ore is expected to produce a concentrate containing a suite of valuable critical minerals, including Zn, Ga, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, La, Ce, and Hf. Several of these elements—particularly the rare earth elements and certain high-value specialty metal compounds—can command prices ranging from approximately US
About Critical Metals Corp.
Critical Metals Corp (Nasdaq: CRML) is a leading mining development company focused on critical metals and minerals, and producing strategic products essential to electrification and next-generation technologies for Europe and its Western world partners. Its flagship Project, Tanbreez, is one of the world's largest, rare-earth deposits and is located in Southern Greenland. The deposit is expected to have access to key transportation outlets as the area features year-round direct shipping access via deep water fjords that lead directly to the North Atlantic Ocean.
Another key asset is the Wolfsberg Lithium Project located in Carinthia, 270 km south of Vienna, Austria. The Wolfsberg Lithium Project is the first fully permitted mine in Europe and is strategically located with access to established road and rail infrastructure and is expected to be the next major producer of key lithium products to support the European market. Wolfsberg is well positioned with offtake and downstream partners to become a unique and valuable asset in an expanding geostrategic critical metals portfolio. With this strategic asset portfolio, Critical Metals Corp is positioned to become a reliable and sustainable supplier of critical minerals essential for defense applications, the clean energy transition, and next-generation technologies in the western world.
For more information, please visit https://www.criticalmetalscorp.com/.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements may include expectations of our business and the plans and objectives of management for future operations. These statements constitute projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this news release, forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “target,” “designed to” or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical facts. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected or implied by the forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements for many reasons, including the factors discussed under the “Risk Factors” section in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this news release, and expectations, forecasts and assumptions as of that date, involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
Critical Metals Corp.
Investor Relations: ir@criticalmetalscorp.com
Media: pr@criticalmetalscorp.com
Figures accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/84277eae-10d8-4903-bb20-09395bcb8606
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9284fcee-de83-4b59-95c6-fe55b4f2e2e8
FAQ
What did Critical Metals Corp (CRML) announce about the 2025 metallurgical test work on Dec 11, 2025?
How large is the Proof-of-Concept Pilot Plant CRML bought and what is the price?
When does CRML expect the pilot plant to start operations and when will pre-production concentrate be available?
What is the significance of the >12,000 gauss magnetic technology for CRML's Tanbreez project?
How will the pilot results feed the planned Romanian JV refinery with Nuclearelectrica (CRML)?
Are there conditions or approvals required before full deployment of the pilot plant and training programs?
