Blackstone Minerals Limited is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Vietnam's Son La Province to facilitate the development of a cooperation framework for the Ta Khoa project. The company's Ta Khoa projects include the TaKhoa Nickel Project (TKNP) and the TaKhoa Refinery (TKR), both to be developed in Son La Province in northern Vietnam.

The MoU acknowledges that the Australian and Vietnamese governments have committed to deepening two-way trade and investment projects in Vietnam, including in the energy and resources sectors, to support the energy security of both countries. Highlights of the MoU include: On 13 April 2022, Her Excellency Ms. Robyn Mudie, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) and the Son La Province People’s Committee conducted a site visit to TKNP, with all parties acknowledging Blackstone’s development strategy Significant to the prosperity of Vietnam and the local Son La community, Blackstone is committed to strong environmental, social and governance principles to support the development of the TaKhoa project, the training and upskilling of the local workforce and community investment to improve the people of the Son La community livelihoods, which Son Lo has determined will help facilitate Blackstone’s investments in the province, including but not limited to supporting the acquisition of exploration, mining and other related licenses for the TaKhoa Project.

Scott Williamson, Managing Director of Blackstone, said: “Blackstone’s relationships with local stakeholders continue to grow. I am delighted to demonstrate the global significance of the TaKhoa project at our mine in Son Lo. Blackstone’s ambition is to work with the people of Vietnam with mutual respect and mutual respect. Collaborate to create significant socio-economic benefits for the communities we operate in. Vietnam and Son La Province have rich mineral potential, excellent infrastructure, loyal people, and have all the key ingredients to be at the forefront of the transportation electrification movement. "Editor/XingWentao