Nordic Resources (ASX:NNL): Finland's Rising Star in the Global Battery Metals Race

Dec 6, 2024

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Interview with Robert Wrixon, Executive Director of Nordic Resources

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/nordic-nickel-asxnnl-advancing-projects-in-finland-to-fill-nickel-supply-as-ev-boom-accelerates-5441

Recording date: 4th December 2024

Nordic Resources, a junior exploration company focused on copper and nickel in Finland's Central Lapland Greenstone Belt (CLGB), presents a compelling investment case for those seeking exposure to the burgeoning battery metals sector. With a vast land package of 240 sq km in a highly prospective yet underexplored region, Nordic is well positioned to make significant discoveries and help meet Europe's growing demand for critical raw materials.

The company's flagship asset is the Hotinvaara deposit, where a maiden resource already positions Nordic as the owner of the largest undeveloped nickel-cobalt resource in the EU. Recent metallurgical test work has demonstrated the potential for Hotinvaara to produce a high-grade nickel concentrate at good recoveries, enhancing the project's economic viability. Over the next 12 months, Nordic plans to optimize these metallurgical parameters while completing a scoping study to establish preliminary project economics and position the asset for EU development funding.

But the real blue sky potential lies in Nordic's extensive regional land package. With six additional exploration permits expected to be granted shortly, the company will control approximately 25 km of strike along the prospective eastern limb of the CLGB's Pulju belt. Nordic is employing a range of low-cost, systematic exploration techniques to identify and prioritize drill targets, including relogging of historic drill core, geochemical and geophysical data compilation, and structural analysis.

This disciplined approach to exploration allows Nordic to rapidly advance its project pipeline and make new discoveries at a fraction of the cost of drilling. Importantly, the company is able to continue this critical work even in a challenging market environment. As Executive Director Robert Wrixon notes, "There's also no need to spend lots of money when you don't really need to and there's a clear path forward on what might sound a little bit boring like geophysics."

Nordic is also actively pursuing strategic partnerships and alternative financing options to accelerate its exploration efforts. While such deals may result in some dilution, they would provide the capital necessary to undertake more aggressive programs such as deep drilling to test the full potential of the system. With its large, prospective land package in a Tier-1 jurisdiction, Nordic should be well placed to attract investment from larger players looking to secure future supplies of critical battery metals.

The company is also positioning itself to benefit from emerging EU funding opportunities as the bloc looks to develop secure, domestic supplies of raw materials for its growing EV and battery storage industries. With its strategic location and significant resource base, Nordic is an attractive candidate for this type of development capital.

In summary, Nordic Resources represents a unique investment opportunity in the battery metals space. With a large, highly prospective land package, a maiden nickel-cobalt resource, and a clear path to value creation, the company is well positioned to deliver shareholder returns as the EV revolution accelerates. As the saying goes, "the best place to find a new mine is near an existing one." In the mineral-rich CLGB of Finland, Nordic may be on the cusp of doing just that.

View Nordic Resources' company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/nordic-nickel