Modern metals company Lifezone Holdings has appointed Gerick Mouton as COO.

Mouton is a mechanical engineer and professional project manager with 25 years of experience in strategic mining and mineral processing development, capital raising, leadership, organisational establishment and execution of multifaceted capital-intensive mining and mineral projects.

As a global metals and mining professional, he has held senior and executive management positions within established international listed mining companies and engineering consultancies.

His experience in the strategic development of openpit and underground mines, as well as mineral processing and refining projects, is expected to be integral to Lifezone Metals’ strategic agenda, through his ability to optimise alternative development and technical scenarios from an early stage.

The company believes this ability will support the creation of shareholder value and wider economic benefits to all stakeholders in the Kabanga project, in Tanzania.

His professional experience extends across key mining jurisdictions, including Botswana, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Madagascar, Tanzania, South Africa and Indonesia; and companies, including Merdeka Copper Gold, Ivanhoe Mines, Bateman and DRA Global.

Mouton has worked extensively over his career with interested and affected parties and other stakeholders to ensure uninterrupted development of large-scale projects in challenging social locations.

In another key appointment to the operations team, Lifezone Metals welcomed Manny dos Ramos to Tembo Nickel as GM.

Tembo Nickel is an operating company formed via the framework agreement entered into in January 2021 between Kabanga and the Tanzanian government for development of the Kabanga nickel deposits in the Ngara district in the northwest of Tanzania.

Dos Ramos will lead and manage the day-to-day project development and operational work at the Kabanga project and Kahama refinery sites.

Manny’s recent experience includes the leadership of the surface infrastructure project team establishing Ivanhoe’s Platreef mine in South Africa, and he has an exceptional safety record for projects under his leadership and management, the company outlines.

He also has a passion for collaborating with affected communities, understanding their needs and finding ways to improve their livelihoods, it says.

“We are very excited to have Gerick and Manny join the Lifezone Metals and Tembo Nickel teams.

“Gerick has extensive project development experience on key global base metal and platinum group metal projects, and a track record of strategically articulating large-scale resource deposits into development and operations. He will be ably supported in this by Manny, who will work closely with Tembo Nickel country manager Benedict Busunzu, to coordinate delivery of the nickel, copper and cobalt mine at Kabanga and the hydromet processing refinery at Kahama,” Lifezone Metals CEO Chris Showalter says.

“We are continuing to build the Lifezone Metals and Tembo Nickel teams as we advance the definitive feasibility study on the Kabanga project and work to make a final investment decision on this globally significant new nickel resource,” he adds.

“I am delighted to be joining Lifezone Metals at this critical time in the company’s operational evolution and look forward to building both the team and our capabilities to deliver one of the most exciting high-grade nickel supply chain solution projects in Africa and globally.

“Advancing the Kell Plant in South Africa will also be a key focus for me as we develop and operationalise Lifezone Metals’ first hydromet refining plant, which aims to revolutionise the future in producing cleaner metals,” Mouton comments.