News Release

JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation (President: Seiichi Murayama; "the Company"), is pleased to announce that its 100% owned German-based subsidiary, JX Metal Circular Solutions Europe GmbH (CEO: Kazuyuki Marukawa; "JXCSE") successfully arranged to structure a "Green Loan" ^*1 with Mizuho Bank, Ltd. (President & CEO: Koji Fujiwara) today. This is the first Green Loan project in non-ferrous metals industry in Japan.

　

The creation of a carbon-free and recycling-oriented society is declared in JX Metals group Basic Environment Policy, and the group has been working closely together to make effective use and secure the stable supply of resources. As a measure to materialize this policy, it has developed the technology to establish "closed-loop recycling", which to collect minor metals from spent automotive LiB and recycle them for the raw material for automotive LiB.

The Company established JXCSE in Europe, the center of the world EV shift, in August 2021. JXCSE aims to further advance the LiB recycling technology in cooperation with TANIOBIS GmbH, its German-based subsidiary. Throughout its business activities, JX Metals group is positively promoting the commercialization of LiB recycling. JXCSE utilizes the Green Loan for investment in R&D facilities for the recycling of spent automotive LiB. It will optimize the recycling technology as a preparation for the mass disposal of spent LiB which is expected to result from the future EV shift.

　

JX Metals Group is contributing to the realization of a sustainable society by actively promoting technology development for the effective use of resources.

　

＜JXCSE Overview＞

Trade Name	JX Metals Circular Solutions Europe GmbH
Registered Address	Neue Mainzer Str. 20, 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Share Capital	EUR 25,000.00
Scope of the Enterprise	Battery-related business including LiB recycling and battery material development
Date of Establishment	August 1, 2021
CEO	Kazuyuki Marukawa

　

*1 Green Loan
"Green Loan" is a loan which is utilized for a substantial contribution to an environmental issue in alignment with the Green Loan Principles^*2. In the course of structuring this Green Loan, a conformity assessment in accordance with the Green Loan Principles was conducted by Japan Credit Rating Agency, Ltd., an independent evaluation organization. The Green Loan JXCSE structured was evaluated as "Green 1", which is the top rating of JCR Green Finance evaluation^*3.

　

*2 Green Loan Principles
International guidelines established by Loan Market Association and Asia Pacific Loan Market Association in March 2018 to clarify the process for capital-raising and investment for projects with environmental benefits. Published in an extended iteration by the two associations above and the Loan Syndications and Trading Association in December 2018.

　

*3 JCR Green Finance Evaluation
（https://www.jcr.co.jp/pdf/greenfinance/Green_Finance_Evaluation_jp_20210917.pdf）