Aim- and FSE-listed Bluejay Mining says the slow assessment of its Dundas environmental impact assessment (EIA) by the Greenland authorities is “frustrating”, but it remains confident that the process is nearing conclusion and that it could expect a response in the first week of February.

The social impact assessment (SIA) is also in its final round of assessments, following a review and amendment process with the Ministry of Mineral Resources.

The EIA and SIA documents are included in the exploitation licence application for the Dundas ilmenite project, which was submitted to the Mineral Licence and Safety Authority in September last year.

These two responses are the basis for Ministerial approval and will allow the company to move into the public consultation period, before the project receives a political decision on development.

Following rounds of minor amendments and edits, Bluejay has received several assurances of timely documentation processing and turn-around from the relevant Greenland ministries.  Nonetheless, the company is still waiting for final approval on the EIA from the Energy and Environmental Agency for Mineral Resources Activities (EAMRA) under the Ministry of Nature, Environment and Research, the government of Greenland, and the advisers to EAMRA, the Danish Centre for Environment and Energy, Aarhus University, and Department of Environment and Minerals, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources.

"Although we enjoy regular and supportive dialogue with the Greenlandic authorities, it has been extremely disappointing that administrative processing has taken considerably longer to complete than was advised, especially considering only minor amendments to our licensing applications have been required. However, we are hopeful that the review and approval process is nearing completion as we have been informed that we should expect a response for the EIA in the first week of February. We expect to receive a response to the SIA shortly thereafter,” says CEO Roderick McIllree.

The exploitation licence covers the onshore portion of Dundas and once approved will allow the company to take the next step toward production of 440 000 t/y. Currently, the defined mineral resource at Dundas stands at 117-million tonnes at 6.1% ilmenite at a 0% cutoff grade, as well as a maiden offshore exploration target.

Meanwhile, Bluejay has appointed Per Buhl Olsen as a nonexecutive director of Dundas Titanium, the company’s 100%-owned subsidiary, which owns the Dundas project.  His appointment follows the strategic investment made by Greenland Ventures and Vækstfonden ('Danish Growth Fund') into Bluejay in December 2019.

Per Buhl is an experienced investment manager and finance professional with significant corporate experience. Based in Nuuk, Greenland, and on the board of several companies, he is very well-connected in Greenland and is a skilled negotiator and analyst with a deep knowledge of the country's society and politics.