Eurobattery Minerals AB, listed on the Nordic Growth Market as "BAT" and on the Börse Stuttgart as "EBM" (hereafter referred to as "Eurobattery Minerals" or the "Company"), has announced the appointment of Pedro Jiménez de Francisco as Project Director for its subsidiary, Tungsten San Juan, S.L.
This subsidiary is responsible for advancing the San Juan tungsten project located in A Gudiña (Ourense, Galicia, Spain). This strategic appointment bolsters the Company's leadership team and represents a significant move forward towards commencing commercial production, which is anticipated to begin in the first quarter of 2027.
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Pedro Jiménez de Francisco is slated to join the executive leadership team on April 27, 2026. He will be accountable directly to the Managing Director of Tungsten San Juan, Agne Ahlenius.
This appointment signifies the completion of fortifying a premier management team, integrating profound geological, technical, and operational expertise, particularly in tungsten—a resource in limited supply across Europe. Pedro's appointment is expected to be a pivotal element in the successful progression of the mine’s development initiatives.
Pedro Jiménez de Francisco has been appointed following his role as Plant Manager at the Barruecopardo tungsten mine located in Salamanca, which is managed by Saloro, S.L., a subsidiary of the publicly traded Australian entity EQ Resources Limited.
This company stands as the leading tungsten producer in Spain and is among the few operations outside the major traditional production areas capable of delivering high-grade scheelite concentrate with minimal impurities. During his period there, Pedro Jiménez de Francisco spearheaded pioneering projects focused on technological enhancements within the industry, such as the adoption of advanced ore sorting technologies employing X-ray transmission (XRT) for the processing of scheelite.
This expertise is directly relevant to the mineral composition and unique characteristics of the San Juan deposit.
Pedro is a graduate with a degree in Mining Engineering from the Technical University of Madrid, and he has also obtained an Executive MBA from the University of Salamanca. Additionally, he has completed a Senior Management Program (PDD).
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With over twenty years of experience, Pedro has excelled in leadership positions within the realms of mining operations, processing plants, as well as industrial and energy facilities. He has consistently demonstrated success in setting production records, optimizing resources, and leading high-performing teams.
Tungsten has been designated by the European Union as both a critical and strategic raw material according to the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), owing to its applications in hard metals, specialty steels, superalloys, defense, aerospace, and electronics. The worldwide supply of this metal is predominantly concentrated outside the European Union, rendering the limited number of European initiatives capable of providing primary tungsten a significant geostrategic asset. San Juan is identified as one of these paramount projects.
Aligned with its strategic significance, Tungsten San Juan, S.L. has submitted an application for the project to be recognized as a Strategic Project under the CRMA. Such a designation would enhance its position as a pivotal component within the European critical raw materials supply chain.
The induction of Pedro Jiménez de Francisco enhances the implementation capabilities of Eurobattery Minerals and effectively communicates a straightforward message to the market: Tungsten San Juan is advancing towards a well-defined landmark — the commencement of commercial production in the first quarter of 2027.
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