However, the market heard from Euro Manganese last week when it announced it has received an extra €125,000 from the European Battery Alliances' EIT InnoEnergy's investment.

Prior to that, Euro Manganese announced its subsidiary has received an extension to its Chvaletice Exploration Licenses.

At the close of trade, the Euro Manganese share price is 63 cents, 6.78% higher than yesterday's close.

Let's take a closer look at the latest news from the battery materials company.

The latest from Euro Manganese

The Euro Manganese share price soared today despite the company not releasing any price-sensitive news since last Tuesday.

Then, it announced it has received the second of three tranches of investment funding from EIT InnoEnergy.

EIT InnoEnergy's total investment into Euro Manganese will be worth €250,000. The second tranche will see EIT InnoEnergy paying €125,000 for 330,647 shares.

So far, EIT InnoEnergy will be receiving 478,027 Euro Manganese shares. The company expects to issue the shares in January 2022.

EIT InnoEnergy leads the European Battery Alliance's industrial stream. It's supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.

The money will go towards the Chvaletice Manganese Project's definitive feasibility study and demonstration plant.

The demonstration plant will produce samples of high-purity manganese for supply chain qualification by potential customers. The company expects those customers to include European electric vehicle and battery manufacturers.

The Euro Manganese share price didn't react to the news.

The market also heard from Euro Manganese last fortnight when it announced its subsidiary has received licences to continue exploration at the Chvaletice Manganese Project until 2026. It was also granted a new preliminary mining permit that's valid until 2026.

The licences mean the company can begin operations at the project in the first quarter of 2022.

The Euro Manganese share price gained 3.3% the day the news was released.

Euro Manganese share price snapshot

This year has been a good one for the Euro Manganese share price.

Right now, it's 59% higher than it was at the start of 2021. It has also gained a whopping 826% since this time last year.

The company has a market capitalisation of around $220 million, with approximately 371 million shares outstanding.

The post The Euro Manganese (ASX:EMN) share price soared 7% today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the Euro Manganese share price is up 1.71% to 59.5 cents.

According to the release, the company will restart its pilot plant after being approached by prospective customers.

Let's take a closer look at the news from Euro Manganese this morning.

Restarting production at the pilot plant

The Euro Manganese share price is in the green today after the company announced it will be refurbishing its pilot plant to produce small samples of high-purity manganese.

The manganese samples will be given to potential customers interested in using the company's products to make electric vehicle batteries.

Giving potential customers samples means battery makers can complete supply chain qualification tests on the company's manganese.

Therefore, Euro Manganese hopes battery makers will be ready to order the high-purity manganese when the company's demonstration plant begins operating. Production at the demonstration plant is planned to begin in early 2022.  

Euro Manganese's pilot plant produced manganese in 2018 as part of the Chvaletice Manganese Project's preliminary economic assessment.

According to the company, its pilot plant will produce samples of manganese by the final quarter of 2021. The plant will produce around 50kg of high-purity electrolytic manganese metal and 150kg of high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate.

During the refurbishing and production process, the company will be working with Changsha Research Institute for Mining and Metallurgy (CRIMM). CRIMM operated the pilot plant in 2018.

CRIMM is also the lead contractor for Euro Manganese's demonstration plant.

The company's demonstration plant will recycle tailings material from a decommissioned mine in the Czech Republic to produce battery-grade manganese products. The demonstration plant will be using the same process as is planned for the company's commercial plant, which is expected to be delivered by early 2025.

Commentary from management

Euro Manganese CEO Marco Romero said:

Demand for sustainably produced, battery-grade manganese is increasing rapidly and there simply isn't enough production capacity in the world to meet it today.

New producers need to come on stream soon and undergo rigorous supply chain qualification of their products. The restart of our pilot plant will help us better service several prospective customers' near-term objectives to pre-qualify new producers like us.

Euro Manganese share price snapshot

Euro Manganese shares have been performing well on the ASX lately.

Currently, the Euro Manganese share price is almost 50% higher than it was at the start of 2021. It has also gained a whopping 587% since this time last year.

The company has a market capitalisation of around $148 million, with approximately 371 million shares outstanding.

The post Why the Euro Manganese (ASX:EMN) share price is rising today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The manganese producer has updated the market on its Chvaletice Project, which aims to produce high-quality and environmentally friendly ultra-high-purity manganese for European electric vehicle and lithium-ion battery industries.

The project is located 90 kilometres east of Prague and is expected to be completed in in late 2024 or early 2025.

Euro Manganese's wholly owned subsidiary, Mangan Chvaletice s.r.o, owns 100% of the Chvaletice Project.

Let's take a look at the news that could impact the Euro Manganese share price today.

Chvaletice Project update

According to Euro Manganese, the Chvaletice Project's definitive feasibility study will be completed by the first quarter of 2022.

The study will mean the company will be able to make a final investment decision and secure financing for the project.

However, Euro Manganese warned the project is facing risks from COVID-19 that could impact the company's ability to meet its upcoming targets.

The news follows the close of the second tranche of an oversubscribed $30 million placement, completed by Euro Manganese earlier this month.

Euro Manganese also announced it's still in discussions with customers for the project's high purity manganese products.

It states interest in the project's products is increasing as it's the only large manganese resource in the European Union.

Euro Manganese is still working to complete the Chvaletice Project's last Environmental and Social Impact Assessment. The assessment is also due to be finished in the first quarter of 2022.

The company has engaged with the Czech community and has support from the Czech Government. As a result, it believes none of the project's stakeholders house any critical concerns.

According to Euro Manganese, previous activities at the Chvaletice Project have contaminated the local ground water. The company says it plans to remove the pollutants and restore the site to "a more natural state". It hopes the Chvaletice Project will use only recycled, contaminated, and wastewater in its production process. Tests to find if the contaminated ground water could be a water source for the plant are planned.

Finally, the company has bought 97% of the equipment needed to build the Chvaletice Project's demonstration plant. It states the detailed designs for the plant are progressing well.

Commentary from management

Euro Manganese's CEO Marco Romero commented on the company's vision for the Chvaletice Project, saying:

For many prospective customers, the Chvaletice Manganese Project ticks all the boxes.

As a recycling project, we have the potential to be one of the world's greenest sources of high purity manganese, which will help auto makers and battery manufacturers meet the EU's increasingly stringent environmental standards. We expect to help the EU meet its decarbonisation goals, while cleaning up a longstanding source of water pollution and creating long-term local employment. There's no other [high purity manganese] production opportunity like this in the world.

Euro Manganese share price snapshot

In general, the Euro Manganese share price has been performing well on the ASX. Though, after a good start to 2021, it's been struggling in the past few months.  

Currently, the Euro Manganese share price is up 8.14% year to date. But the price has fallen 47.16% since its 2021 high of 88 cents in mid-January.

Shares in Euro Manganese have also gained 481.25% since this time last year.

The company has a market capitalisation of around $117 million, with approximately 371 million shares outstanding.

The post The Euro Manganese (ASX:EMN) share price is in focus today. Here's why appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the Euro Manganese share price is up 2%, trading at 51 cents.

In today's release, Euro Manganese announced it has closed the second tranche of its private placement. Let's take a closer look at the battery materials company's update.

Second tranche closed

The second tranche of Euro Manganese's placement included around 8.3 million CHESS depository interests, each priced at 60 cents. It brought in $5 million for the company.

In total, the placement has seen Euro Manganese bank an extra $30 million.

The money will be used to advance the company's Chvaletice Manganese Project in the Czech Republic. There, Euro Manganese will complete the installation and commissioning of its high-purity manganese demonstration plant.  

Euro Manganese can now also fund the demonstration plant's first year of operation, as well as secure the project's permits and conduct a feasibility study. It will also use the placement's proceeds to pay for certain land acquisitions.

According to Euro Manganese, the placement was anchored by a strategic investor and an ESG-focused fund.

It was also supported by several existing institutional shareholders and involved two new institutional investors. The company said the two new investors had strong positive views on ESG projects and high purity manganese in Europe.

The placement will cost Euro Manganese $1.5 million, which will be paid to the placement's lead manager and book-runner, as well as the company's acting financial advisor.

Euro Manganese share price snapshot  

The boost to the Euro Manganese share price brought on by today's news adds to its recent positive performance on the ASX.

Currently, the Euro Manganese share price is 27% higher than it was at the start of the year. It's also gained a whopping 587% over the last 12 months.

The company has a market capitalisation of around $125 million, with approximately 363 million shares outstanding.

The post Why the Euro Manganese (ASX:EMN) share price is up today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Let's take a closer look at what's driving the battery minerals company today.

What did Euro Manganese announce?

Today's Euro Manganese share price movement follows news of its closure of the first tranche of its $30 million private placement.

The tranche comprised the sale and issue of around 41.6 million CHESS Depositary Interests (CDIs) at 60 cents per CDI. Proceeds will go towards expanding its Chvaletice manganese extraction project and there is a second tranche to come, involving the sale of 8.3 million CDIs by May.

The Euro Manganese share price rise is also due to the company's support from the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT), a European Union investment fund focused on supporting clean energy projects. EIT is providing Euro Manganese three grants totalling approximately $385,000. 

The company also advised it had benefitted from the Czech Republic's Ministry of Industry and Trade decision to extend its investment incentive tax credits until 2025.

Management commentary

When Euro Manganese first announced its $30 million private placement 9 days ago, its CEO Marco Romero said that demand for the mineral was constantly improving.

The demand for high-purity manganese products continues to grow and the latest market developments have further improved our prospects. Volkswagen Auto Group recently announced plans to use a high proportion of manganese in the batteries that will be used in the largest segment of its future electric vehicle production.

This financing will allow us to complete all site and technical work required for a final investment decision expected in 2022. Euro Manganese is clearly in the right place at the right time.

A closer look at Euro Manganese Inc

The Canadian small-cap battery materials company is a dual-listed company on the ASX as it focuses its mineral exploration, not in Canada or Australia, but in the mining exploration destination of the Czech Republic. 

The company's Czech Republic project, titled Chvaletice, is producing high-purity electrolytic manganese metal and high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate. Its manganese products are aimed at the electric vehicle (EV) industry, which is expected to increasingly demand manganese as a critical metal for its batteries.

In a sense, both Euro Manganese and the Czech Pardubice District lucked out on its current global manganese significance, as Euro Manganese is simply reprocessing a large deposit of manganese carbonate contained in waste from historical mining operations at the site.

But, like many rare earth metals miners, its potential profitability is a little more complicated than it looks…

What is manganese?

Manganese is an interesting precious mineral often found in combination with iron, as it's not a free element in nature. It's currently an essential ingredient in the development of steel and is also used in animal feed.

However, until recently, it flew under the radar of the United States and other large mining nations, which may help explain why Euro Manganese is focused on the Czech Republic.

Manganese has a growing role in the production of electric vehicle batteries, as a key ingredient in lithiated manganese dioxide (LMD) batteries. A typical LMD battery uses 61% of manganese and only 4% lithium and reportedly has numerous benefits over lithium-ion batteries, including higher power output, thermal stability, and improved safety. 

As is the case with many of these precious metals that could play a key role in renewable energy technology, the rate of supply and demand is constantly changing as large nations play catch-up and often attempt to stranglehold emerging markets.

Since the US added manganese to its "critical materials" list in 2017 in anticipation of this increase in demand, the price has been incredibly volatile and that's had an equally volatile impact on the Euro Manganese share price.

The post Up 650% in 12 months, why the Euro Manganese (ASX:EMN) share price lifted higher today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

At the time of writing, the Euro Manganese share price is down 4.35%, trading at 66 cents.

Why is the Euro Manganese share price falling?

Euro Manganese is a Canadian small-cap battery materials company listed on the ASX. The group specialises in the extraction and development of high-grade manganese for use in electric vehicle (EV) batteries. The company is advancing its Chvaletice Manganese Project in the Czech Republic as a key strategic initiative.

Shares in the Canadian mining group slumped lower 4.5% lower on Monday after the company announced a A$30.0 million private placement to the market. Strong institutional participation across the book helped to make the placement oversubscribed.

The proceeds from the $0.60 per CDI offer will help advance its Chvaletice Manganese Project. Euro Manganese intends to produce battery-grade manganese by reprocessing a large deposit of manganese carbonate, contained in waste from historical mining operations at the site.

The Euro Manganese share price crashed lower on Monday after the oversubscribed placement. A strategic investor and environment, sustainability and governance (ESG) focused fund underpinned the capital raise.

However, it hasn't been all bad news for shareholders. The Euro Manganese share price pared back its losses on Tuesday, surging 7.8% higher to close at $0.69 per share.

Euro Manganese raised the A$30.0 million in funds across two tranches. Euro Manganese maximised its A$25 million under Listing Rule 7.1 in the first tranche. The second tranche of $5.0 million, in excess of Listing Rule 7.1, will be subject to shareholder approval to be sought at a special meeting in May 2021.

Euro Manganese currently has a market capitalisation of $134 million.

Foolish takeaway

The Euro Manganese share price fell 4.5% lower on Monday after its latest capital raise announcement. The volatility continued on Tuesday with shares in the battery materials group surging 7.8% higher to $0.69 per share at yesterday's close.

Shares in the Canadian battery materials group are trading lower again today following two large share price swings in the last two days.

The post Why the Euro Manganese (ASX:EMN) share price is volatile this week appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The annual report surveys mining executives from all over the globe to understand how the industry stands.

Let's take a closer look at what is concerning and exciting one of Australia's biggest industries in 2021.

12 months of challenges  

While plenty has changed since the beginning of 2020, mining companies' main concern remains the same: Commodity price risk.

Also concerning industry leaders were economic downturns, a mainstay of 2020, and unsurprisingly, global pandemics.

An earlier report by KPMG, Australian Mining Risk Forecast 2021/21, commended Australian mining companies on their quick actions to protect themselves and their workers from COVID-19.

Further, the report found through the pandemic, consumers returned to invest in historically stable commodities, while government stimulus packages kept mining companies in the green. These combined measures kept commodity prices considerably stable.

Interestingly, companies with large capitalisations viewed economic uncertainty and environmental risks as greater issues than fluctuating commodity prices.

The risks of supply chain bottlenecks were also highlighted during COVID-19, with the report stating the industry is moving to address them.

Perhaps as a reflection on travel restrictions, mining executives now see access to key talent as the ninth biggest risk factor to their organisations.

ESG's are bringing an ethical future to mining

The report found the future of mining is being heralded optimistically. Australian mining companies have already embraced measures deemed by KPMG's report to be essential to the future of mining. Those being strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) measures.

Executives surveyed almost unanimously agreed companies need to have a clear, measurable ESG strategy to be successful. In fact, 83% of those surveyed said success must be measured against the results of a company's ESG strategy. 

There is a belief among mining executives that the future of mining will begin soon. With decarbonising efforts underway and a focus on green energy, there will likely be a heightened demand for raw materials to create sustainable energy.

Also, as an effect of COVID-19, the industry's workplace health and safety have been boosted. Particularly mental health care.

The future of mining is ESG

This year, miners are more likely to agree that innovation in the sector won't see job losses. In fact, 82% view technology's advancement as an opportunity instead of a threat.

Within the adoption of technology comes an element of social responsibility – it's imperative to keep jobs local and benefit mining communities.

KPMG has observed a trend in Australia, where technology is adopted faster than in North America. Perhaps this is a reflection of the diverse nature of Australia's mining sector.

Currently, most mining executives believe modern mining companies need to embrace new business models, such as strategic partnerships, private equity funding and Public-Private Partnerships.  Nearly two-thirds state the mining industry needs to consolidate to manage costs and risks.

Despite 2020's unique challenges, Australia's mining industry is standing strong and looks to be set for a prosperous future.

Three mining companies with exceptional ESG strategies 

Neometals Ltd (ASX: NMT) 

A lithium mining company working towards batteries for electric vehicles and the storage of clean energy. It has also partnered with German plant manufacturer SMS group to create Primobius, a lithium-ion battery recycling program. Neometals commits to its strong focus on sustainable corporate governance and community partnerships by supporting local businesses, charities and projects.

Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: VUL)

Vulcan is working to decarbonise the lithium-ion battery industry with its zero-carbon lithium product.

Euro Manganese Inc (ASX: EMN)

Euro Manganese stands by a code of ethics and business conduct established in 2017. The code stipulates the company must create as little environmental impact as possible and contribute to local communities to enhance them and practice good corporate governance. The company is a miner of manganese in Europe, which it supplies to the lithium-ion battery industry.   

The post Mining companies with ESG strategies are at the front of the pack appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Shares in the manganese miner are currently trading strongly. At the time of writing, the Euro Manganese share price has risen to 69 cents. Therefore, since last nights close, the share price has gained an impressive 11.3%.

European Support

Shares in the Canadian based miner are on a tear today as the company announced a new agreement.

The company and its Czech Republic subsidiary gained the support of EIT InnoEnergy.  EIT is a knowledge and innovation community supported by the European Commission. It will provide financial support to Euro Maganese. In addition, it will provide its extensive European network. Thus, aiding the successful integration of Euro Manganese into the EU's battery supply chain.

Furthermore, the company will assist Euro Manganese in securing off-take agreements with consumers of manganese products. This includes European electric vehicle batteries and cathode manufacturers.

Furthermore, as part of the deal, EIT will provide 250,000 Euros in equity investment. The sum will be funded in three rounds over the next twelve months. Shares will be equal to the amount of funding and be issued to EIT upon receipt of each tranche.

Euro Manganese Management Comments

CEO, Marco Romero, spoke about the deal saying:

The Chvaletice Project is Europe's largest manganese resource and we plan to develop it using clean, commercially proven and state-of-the-art technology. We are grateful to have enlisted the support of EIT InnoEnergy and look forward to working with them to bring our project to fruition. By recycling the Chvaletice tailings, our Czech subsidiary, Mangan Chvaletice, will be providing Europe with high-purity manganese products that meet or exceed the EU and Czech Republic's stringent environmental standards.

About the Chvaletice Manganese Project

Euro Manganese claims that its Chvaletice project is the only sizeable manganese resource in the European Union. Consequently, the project has the potential to provide up to 50% of the projected 2025 European demand for manganese.

Moreover, unlike many other mining projects, it will also bring environmental and social benefits. This is as a result of the use of polluted water being utilised in the conversion process. Long term jobs will also be created in the region of the Czech Republic where the mine will be located.

The post Why the Euro Manganese (ASX:EMN) share price is soaring today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Reporting ESG performance had always been an inexact science, unlike well-established accounting standards.

But the World Economic Forum in September published a set of metrics that corporates can use to evaluate their ESG chops.

Using this framework, 6 Australian-listed companies announced Wednesday that they would start reporting ESG metrics in their quarterly reports required by the ASX:

• Euro Manganese Inc (ASX: EMN)
• Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd (ASX: VUL)
• Elixir Energy Ltd (ASX: EXR)
• Minbos Resources Ltd (ASX: MNB)
• MyFiziq Ltd (ASX: MYQ)
• WhiteHawk Ltd (ASX: WHK)

Melbourne tech firm Socialsuite is providing the software for these companies to report their non-financial metrics.

Vulcan Energy is a mining company with a $259 million market capitalisation that's developed a method to produce lithium with minimal carbon emissions.

Managing director Francis Wedin said his business was proud to be one of the first adopters of the new standard ESG metrics.

"Positive impact and ESG is the core reason we started the company," he said.

"We know that by delivering against ESG we can create long term sustainable value, while driving positive outcomes for the business, the economy, society, and the planet."

Most investors care about ESG now

Unfortunately for those trailblazing companies, 20% of Australian investors would take higher returns over their own moral code.

But this also means 80% of local investors care about how the companies they buy into align with their personal beliefs.

The rise of ESG as a factor in investment choices was prominently on display last year after Rio Tinto Limited (ASX: RIO) blew up the historically significant Juukan Gorge.

The multinational mining giant initially defended its actions, saying its actions complied with the law. 

An internal investigation later stripped $7.2 million of bonuses off 3 executives, but this only caused more public outrage for putting a 'valuation' on the priceless site.

But sustained pressure from major shareholders, including some of Australia's biggest superannuation funds, sent the 3 executives packing – albeit with massive enough golden handshakes that would mean they never had to work again.

"Investors have stepped up in this instance and demonstrated that they will not accept corporate misinformation and the absolute disrespect to cultural sites that has become Rio's modus operandi," Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility legal counsel James Fitzgerald told The Motley Fool at the time.

"Shareholder democracy and investor action is alive and well in Australia."

The spectacular 700% rise in the share price of Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) last year was also a case in point. Many retail investors were thrilled with backing a company they considered a part of the solution, rather than the carbon-emitting establishment.

The post These 6 ASX companies just started measuring ESG appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

The small Canadian mining endeavour has set out to mine manganese in the Czech Republic via its Chvaletice Manganese Project. According to management's latest discussion and analysis, "The company's goal is to produce high-purity manganese products in an economically, socially and environmentally-sound manner."

So how come the Euro Manganese share price shot up over 180% this year?

First of all, what's a high-purity manganese product?

Our journey begins with the growing popularity of electric vehicles. Electric cars need batteries. There are two big battery players in the market. Lithium manganese cobalt oxide batteries (abbreviated NMC) that run off of mainly nickel, manganese and cobalt. Then there are lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which tend to run cheaper. That's why Tesla likes them.

As mentioned in management's commentary, Euro Manganese is particularly focused on high-performance NMC Li-ion batteries claiming that high purity sources of manganese and other battery raw materials ensure that the batteries meet increasingly demanding performance, safety and durability standards.

What are analysts saying about the Euro Manganese share price?

In a research report released earlier this week, Morningstar calculated the Euro Manganese share price to be fairly valued, rating the company three out of five possible stars. However, the report also includes a 'very high uncertainty' rating which isn't going to please some potential investors.

With a market cap of around $72.5 million, Euro Manganese is a microcap company. A lot of analysts don't care about companies so small, which limits the coverage. However, if the share price continues marching upward like it has been, analysts are more likely to take notice.

What's the final word? 

Mining can be quite a risky game, especially for the little guys. This is often associated with amount of work that has to go into mapping, feasibility studies, government negotiations and other road blocks. Land acquisitions and environmental impact assessments can also slow things up. The list goes on, really. 

Investors seem to be happy with the progress Euro Manganese is making, otherwise the share price wouldn't have seen such a sweet 12 months. Going into 2021, the company will be tested to see if this momentum can continue. 

The current Euro Manganese share price is trading at 39.5 cents, down 2.47%.

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