Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc: Transaction to sell solar plant

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Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc
Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc

ST HELIER, Jersey, Oct. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc (NYSE AMERICAN: CMCL; AIM: CMCL; VFEX: CMCL) (“Caledonia” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce that it has signed a conditional sale agreement for the entire issued share capital of its Zimbabwe subsidiary, Caledonia Mining Services (Private) Limited (“CMS”), which owns and operates the 12.2MWac solar plant that supplies power to Blanket Mine. CMS is to be sold to CrossBoundary Energy Holdings (“CBE”) for $22.35 million, payable in cash, and the power generation of the solar plant will continue to be sold to Blanket Mine by way of a power purchase agreement.

Highlights

  • Upon completion of the sale, Caledonia will realise a profit on the $14.3 million construction cost by selling the plant for $22.35 million.

  • Completion of the sale will return capital to Caledonia at a key moment in the Company’s growth trajectory.

  • Caledonia will retain the exclusive energy off take, ensuring approximately a fifth of Blanket Mine’s daily electricity requirement continues to be met by renewable power.

  • CBE has been invited to tender for an expansion of the solar plant to deliver further renewable energy to Blanket Mine.

The construction of the solar plant was initially financed by a registered offering of Caledonia’s shares in the US in 2020 and this raised $13 million through the issue of 597,963 shares.

Since commissioning in February 2023, the solar plant has generated over 47,350Mwh of power, and profits attributable to the solar plant for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $728,023. The power generated from the solar plant has significantly reduced the use of diesel generators and grid power at Blanket Mine, ensuring approximately a fifth of the mine’s daily electricity needs are met by solar power. The plant will continue to supply Blanket Mine under an exclusive power purchase agreement.

The sales consideration will be reinvested in Caledonia's other projects that are expected to yield a higher return to our shareholders and will have the added benefit of focussing management's attention on our core business of gold mining and exploration.

CrossBoundary Energy is a leading developer, owner and operator of distributed renewable energy solutions for businesses across Africa, providing cheaper and cleaner energy through power purchase and lease agreements. CBE provides tailored, fully financed renewable energy solutions to its corporate customers allowing them to avoid upfront capital expenditure and technical risks, whilst still benefitting from cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable power. Through close collaboration with its partners, CBE provides renewable energy solutions that adapt to the needs of their clients including designing, building, financing, and maintaining renewable energy installations.