Changes To Technical Team
Summary by AI BETAClose X
23 December 2025
Savannah Resources Plc
(AIM: SAV) ('Savannah', or the 'Company')
Savannah announces new structure to technical team for transition into project construction
Savannah Resources Plc, the developer of the Barroso Lithium Project in Portugal, a 'Strategic Project' under the European Critical Raw Materials Act and Europe's largest spodumene lithium deposit (the 'Project'), announces that its Chief Technical Officer ('CTO'), Dale Ferguson, will be leaving the Company at the end of the year.
Under Dale's technical leadership and with the CEO´s support in the last year, Savannah has built a highly competent technical team. His responsibilities are now shared among the team's experienced senior managers, in particular Boris Daza (Development Manager, with 20 years of experience operating and building lithium projects, mostly in Western Australia, with Fortescue and Mineral Resources) and João Nunes (Operations Readiness Manager, with 28 years of experience operating and delivering new mining projects in Iberia, including at Portugal's two major mining success cases of Boliden/Somincor and Almina). They are supported by John Morris Perreira (Exploration Manager), Brad Patrick (Definitive Feasibility Study Manager) and Sónia Coelho (Environmental Manager). Dale and the team have ensured that an orderly handover of duties has been completed before his departure.
The transition from Dale to Boris and João also marks Savannah's progress from a resource developer into a project delivery company, moving rapidly towards construction and operation. It comes after a very successful resource upgrade was announced in September and, in parallel, the Company progressing its DFS, Front-end Engineering Design and Project Financing steps. Savannah expects to make further senior hires to its technical team at the appropriate time, in the run-up to the Project's Final Investment Decision and construction next year.
Dale Ferguson, departing CTO said, "I leave Savannah and the Barroso Lithium Project in the capable hands of the excellent in-house team. The skills to deliver the project are now in place, and a full focus on geology will now be replaced by engineering, construction, and mine and plant operation. I wish everyone well for the future as the Project is taken forward to production, fulfilling the goal we set when we first took ownership of the Project: to progress this Project from a pre-resource stage asset into Europe's largest spodumene deposit, which is being developed in a responsible way. To generate both significant quantities of lithium raw material and many other benefits too from within Europe will be a great achievement, and everyone involved should be rightly proud. As a long-term shareholder in Savannah, I will continue to follow developments at the Project very closely and look forward to it playing an important and sizeable role in Europe's lithium battery value chain in the near future."
Savannah's CEO, Emanuel Proença said, "We are honoured to have had Dale in our team through the journey that brought Savannah from the exploration phase to the upcoming construction phase. His contribution to Savannah has been hugely important to the Company for over 10 years. Savannah acquired the Project in 2017 after Dale, together with John Morris Pereira and others, first identified the commercial potential of the area's lithium mineralogy. Since then, he has led our technical team, and the whole Company during his period as Interim CEO in 2022-23, through a series of major milestones.
"On behalf of the whole team and the Savannah Board of Directors, I offer him my sincere thanks for all he has done for Savannah and its past, present and future stakeholders."
Regulatory Information
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("MAR"), and is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of MAR.
Savannah - Enabling Europe's energy transition.
**ENDS**
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For further information please visit www.savannahresources.com or contact:
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Savannah Resources PLC Emanuel Proença, CEO |
Tel: +44 20 7117 2489
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SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP (Nominated Advisor & Broker) David Hignell/ Charlie Bouverat (Corporate Finance) Grant Barker/Abigail Wayne (Sales & Broking)
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Tel: +44 20 3470 0470
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Canaccord Genuity Limited (Joint Broker) James Asensio / Charlie Hammond (Corporate Broking) Ben Knott (Sales) |
Tel: +44 20 7523 8000
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Portugal Media Relations Savannah Resources: Antonio Neves Costa, Communications Manager |
Tel: +351 962 678 912 |
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About Savannah
Savannah Resources is a mineral resource development company and the sole owner of the Barroso Lithium Project (the 'Project') in northern Portugal. The Project is the largest battery grade spodumene lithium resource outlined to date in Europe and was classified as a 'Strategic Project' by the European Commission under the Critical Raw Materials Act in March 2025.
Through the Project, Savannah will help Portugal to play an important role in providing a long-term, locally sourced, lithium raw material supply for Europe's lithium battery value chain. Once in operation the Project will produce enough lithium (contained in c.190,000tpa of spodumene concentrate) for approximately half a million vehicle battery packs per year and hence make a significant contribution towards the European Commission's Critical Raw Material Act goal of a minimum 10% of European endogenous lithium production from 2030.
Savannah is focused on the responsible development and operation of the Barroso Lithium Project so that its impact on the environment is minimised and the socio-economic benefits that it can bring to all its stakeholders are maximised.
The Company is listed and regulated on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market (AIM) and trades under the ticker "SAV".
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