ValOre Metals Signs 5-Year MoU with Germany's BGR to Advance Pedra Branca PGE Processing

ValOre Metals has signed a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Germany's Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources and its subdivision, the German Mineral Resources Agency, joining the government-funded BioPlat research project as an industry partner. The collaboration targets low-emission processing routes based on biological leaching for the company's 100%-owned Pedra Branca platinum group element project in Brazil, starting with weathered near-surface material. ValOre's contribution will include samples, technical data, and associated logistical support, and each party will fund its own costs.

Company Overview

ValOre Metals Corp. (TSXV: VO | OTCQB: KVLQF) owns 100% of the Pedra Branca platinum group element (PGE) Project in Ceará State, northeastern Brazil. The project covers 45 exploration licenses over 51,096 hectares. A 2022 NI 43-101 inferred resource across 7 PGE+Au deposit areas totals 2.198 million ounces of 2PGE+Au contained in 63.6 million tonnes grading 1.08 g/t 2PGE+Au.

BGR Agreement & BioPlat Framework

On November 10, 2026, ValOre announced a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Germany's Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) and its subdivision, the German Mineral Resources Agency. Under the agreement, ValOre joins BioPlat, a German government-funded research project on low-emission processing of unconventional PGE ores through biological leaching.

The German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space funds BioPlat under the EGARoh program, and G.E.O.S. Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH coordinates it. TU Bergakademie Freiberg and the Natural History Museum Bern are also participants.

Under the MoU, ValOre's contribution is targeted to include samples, technical data and associated logistical support for the research. Each party will cover its own costs.

Processing Focus at Pedra Branca

The collaboration aims to develop processing routes for Pedra Branca, starting with weathered near-surface material. In previously reported metallurgical testwork, bioleaching pretreatment followed by cyanidation extracted up to 73% of the platinum and 74% of the palladium from weathered Esbarro material.

Thiago Diniz, P.Geo., ValOre's Vice President of Exploration and Qualified Person under NI 43-101, reviewed and approved the technical information in the release.

Chief Executive Officer of ValOre, Nick Smart, said the following about the company's selection as a BioPlat industry partner:

"Being selected as an industry partner in the German government-funded BioPlat initiative is a great validation of the work our team has been doing at Pedra Branca, and an important next step for us."

Smart also highlighted efforts to encourage platinum and palladium extraction from weathered material using bioleaching and hydrometallurgical processing.

President of BGR, Tim Vietor, described the project's stage of development:

"ValOre's Pedra Branca PGM project is a highly promising venture and one of the few PGM projects globally that has reached a very advanced stage."

Vietor added that, in the medium term, Pedra Branca could help bridge supply gaps in platinum group metals, particularly palladium, for Europe, specifically Germany.

Next Steps

The parties will jointly develop a detailed work program with responsibilities, deliverables and timelines.