Not that $20mil is all that much considering what is at stake, but you and Cruiser should remember that whoever breaks the TIA has to pay a break fee of $20mil. Personally I would be looking elsewhere to another battery manufacturer (or trying to amend the terms to 19%, AVZ keeping an extra 5%) but CAT is the world’s biggest battery manufacturer, I imagine the DRC is looking to them to build the facility near Manono, and I also imagine that CAT doesn’t even want to build it there as they have already spent billions building battery manufacturing plants in Yibin and elsewhere in China. I also wouldn’t be surprised if CATH are happy to just pay as little as they can for the offtake, partly meaning that they would be happy not building a battery manufacturing plant in the DRC and just expect AVZ to pay all freight, insurance and other costs to get the products to China. I don’t know how many here consider all the possibilities involved (these are just a few I consider) but I have close to 3 million shares in AVZ so I try to imagine what possibilities might affect my investment. Maybe this is a little too much information, but fuck it, I can tell you from my conversations with Nigel in Sydney, I have invested more of my own money in AVZ than he had. I’m not dirty on him having all his shares, he’s done all the work, but I do wish other investors would put more effort into researching the facts and possibilities and offer strategies that help Nigel and us all as shareholders
It would be great if AVZ have been talking to another player, remember the south Koreans were on the scene in the DRC not too long ago. They also have ambitions on being #1. Ideally a deal involving SK, LG, Samsung and also a battery JV nearby........ 9% for 180mil guys ? (we keep 51% then in worst case skyfall scenario). I know dreamin...
But the DRC leadership knows China have been pillaging them and many instances are now being uncovered. (chinese miners polluting, not paying royalties, employing Chinese only.....the usual).
The IGF have uncovered Zijins assholery in conjunction with snack loving Cominiere, suggesting corruption. $5million in snacks, oh the diabetes.
Also who is on the DRC battery council ?
Importantly, who is not ! The optics would suggest DRC govt are well aware of the Chinese and have them at arms length. CATL the worlds largest battery producer not on the countries battery council ? why ? yet AVZ a minnow in comparison is ! - This speaks volumes.
The shorters and Zijin have been quite relentless in spewing their disinformation. As usual like swami (lol) a tid-bit of truth then a whole great big fucking container ship of bullshit is built around it, shit for you, shit for you, shit for you. The naïve lap it up and those who have done their homework question it which leads them to research further.........
Which is where we are now, its obvious we have a short campaign against us and also have the chinese (very likely CATL included) conspiring against us to steal Manono from us. Instead of just paying up the crooked twats do this thanks in large to the easily corruptible in the DRC.
To add further smell to the shit, enter good ol santa klaus everybody's favourite German since Hitler. The signs all point to DRC being wary of china $$ and control, so it would seem logical to think AVZ are the DRC Govts choice to hold this project, Australian miners are well regarded worldwide. All Zijin have so far is $5mil in snacks paid out to a few corrupt in Cominere with diabetes and a damning IGF report.
Its Nigel and boards time to earn their crazy handouts. This is a 20 billion dollar company in the making.
ffs gone on too long