Commission of Processing and Sorting Plants begins

URA Holdings plc (LSE: URAH), the gemstone mining company currently focused on the restart of production at the Gravelotte Emerald Mine ("GEM"), is pleased to announce that its operations have now entered the commissioning phase, targeting first production before the end of April 2024.

Highlights

• Practical completion of the priority systems at the Gravelottle processing and sorting plant, allowing the commissioning phase to commence.
• Phased Emerald production expected to commence before the end of April 2024
• Sufficient ore feed tonnes are now readily accessible on the run-of-mine (ROM) pads for both commissioning and first production with a total available ROM stockpile now exceeding 3,000 tonnes
• Mechanical equipment pre-operational testing is also currently in progress
• Technical Team from the manufactures of the optical sorter (Angelon Electronics Co Ltd) are on site actively working to achieving final assembly and commissioning of the optical sorter on schedule

Bernard Olivier, CEO of URA, commented: "We are pleased to report that we are on track to first production before the end of April and the start of commission of the processing and sorting plant is a significant final step in achieving this objective. Operational readiness and the transition to daily operations is a key part of this phase as we look not only to first emerald production but also towards ramping up production with a view to achieve first sales from the historic emerald mine for over 20 years."

Figure 1. The commissioning of the processing plant in progress.

Figure 2. Angelon technical expert busy with the commissioning of the optical sorter.

URA is focused on restarting the Gravelotte Emerald Mine. URA Holdings is committed to sustainable and efficient mining practices, utilising modern technology to revive one of the world's historically significant emerald mines.

X(formally known as Twitter): @ura_plc