SYDENY: Vital Metals has announced that. Tony Hadley has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer of the company. Vital Metals Limited is an explorer and developer focussing on rare earths, technology metals and gold project across a range of jurisdictions in Canada, Africa and Germany.

Regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in rare earth processing outside of China, Tony Hadley has extensive experience in operations, technical development, project design and management, engineering and commissioning.

His project experience has encompassed feasibility studies in three different countries, piloting, construction and commissioning of process plants. Tony has a broad technical knowledge in mineral processing covering comminution, flotation, cracking, leaching and neutralisation of rare earth concentrates, waste water and waste gas treatment, solvent extraction, pressure oxidation, albion oxidation, roasting, cyanide destruction, filtration, drying, gravity and magnetic separation.

Commenting on the new COO appointment, Vital Metals Managing Director Geoff Atkins said: “Tony Hadley’s appointment comes at a perfect time as we ramp up the development of our Nechalacho operation to begin producing rare earth feedstock. We are extremely fortunate to have secured the services of one of the world’s most experienced experts in rare earth processing –perhaps the most experienced outside of China.”

In conjunction with the appointment of Mr Hadley and as planned, Executive Director Mr Zane Lewis has stepped into a Non-Executive Director role with the Company.