C Ritical E Lements Appoints E X R Ockwood L Ithium CFO to the B Oard of D Irectors
PRESS RELEASE
C RITICAL E LEMENTS APPOINTS E X R OCKWOOD L ITHIUM CFO TO THE B OARD OF D IRECTORS
J UNE 5 , 201 7 – M ONTRÉAL , Q UÉBEC – Critical Elements Corporation (the “Corporation” or “Critical
Elements”) (TSX - V: CRE) (US OTCQX: CRECF) (FSE: F12) is pleased to announce the appointment of
Dr. Marcus Brune to the board of directors .
D r. Brune is well known in the lithium industry, having been Chief Financial Office r of Rockwood Lithium
from 2011 u p until it was acquired by Albe ma r le for $6.2 billion in Januar y 2015 . He left Albemarle in 2016
once the lithium business was successful ly integrat ed into Albemarle ‘s organizational structure.
Prior to joining Rockwood Lithium, Dr. Brune had worked in different executive positions in c orporate
f inance and M&A for Rockwood Holdings and it s predecessor companies since 2004. Prior to that , he was
with McKinsey as a strategy consultant for organi zational development and mana gement.
Dr. Brune completed his doctorate in material sciences at the Technical University of Dortmund , Germany,
after earning a physics degree .
“ The Board of Directors and the team at Critical Elements Corpora tion are delighted to welcome Dr. Marcus
Brune , ” said Steffen Haber , President and director . “T he addition of Marcus, a former member of my
executive team at Rockwood, is another important step in the Corporation’s development. With his
exceptional background in the industry , he will provide the team with important input for the structur ing of
project financing.”
“ I a m very enthusiastic about joining the very talente d , dynamic team at Critical E lements . T he fast growing
lithium market is in great need of new sources of supply , and the d evelopment of the Rose lithium tantalum
p roject is our focus for success ,” added Dr. Marcus Brune .
A BOUT C RITICAL E LEMENTS C ORPORATION
A recent financial analysis (Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) on the Rose
lithium tantalum p roject, Genivar, December 2011) of the Rose project, 100% owned by Critical Elements,
based on price forecasts of US $260/kg ($118/lb) for Ta 2 O 5 contained in a tantalite concentrate and US
$6,000/t for lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ) showed an estimated after - tax Inter nal Rate of Return (IRR) of 25%
for the Rose project, with an estimated Net Present Value (NPV) of CA $279 million at an 8% discount rate.
The payback period is estimated at 4.1 years. The pre - tax IRR is estimated at 33% and the NPV at CA
$488 million at a discount rate of 8%. (Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have
demonstrated economic viability). (The preliminary economic assessment is preliminary in nature). (See
press release dated November 21, 2011.) The PEA includes inferred mine ral resources that are considered
too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be
categorized as mineral reserves and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be
realized.
The conclusions of the PEA indicate that the operation would support a production rate of 26,606 tons of
high purity (99.9% battery grade) Li 2 CO 3 and 206,670 pounds of Ta 2 O 5 per year over a 17 - year mine life.
The project hosts a current Indicated resource of 26.5 million tonnes of 1.30% Li 2 O Eq. or 0.98% Li 2 O and
163 ppm Ta 2 O 5 and an Inferred resource of 10.7 million tonnes of 1.14% Li 2 O Eq. or 0.86% Li 2 O and 145
ppm Ta 2 O 5 .
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jean - Sébastien Lavallée, P.Geo.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
819 - 354 - 5146
www.cecorp.ca
Investor Relations:
Paradox Public Relations
514 - 341 - 0408
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(as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange)
accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.