Namibia Critical Metals appoints Niels Verbaan as VP to advance Lofdal rare earth project

Namibia Critical Metals has appointed Niels Verbaan as Vice President of  Metallurgy to lead technical work on its Lofdal rare earth project in Namibia.

Verbaan has more than 25 years of experience in metallurgical process development, especially in rare earth elements. He has worked on several global projects and most recently served as Senior Director at SGS Lakefield. He is expected to join Namibia Critical Metals in May.

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 In his new role, he will oversee metallurgical testing, process design, pilot programmes, and overall process improvement for the Lofdal project. His work will focus on improving the recovery of key heavy rare earth elements such as dysprosium and terbium, which are important for high-performance magnets used in electric vehicles and wind turbines.

Darrin Campbell, President of Namibia Critical Metals, said, “Niels brings a rare combination of deep rare earth expertise and hands-on execution experience. His appointment materially strengthens our ability to deliver a robust, financeable DFS and positions Lofdal to advance toward development with a high degree of technical confidence, in close collaboration with our Japanese partners.” 

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The Lofdal project is fully permitted, with a 25-year mining licence in place. It is being advanced through a joint venture with the Japan Organisation for Metals and Energy Security, which can secure up to a 50 per cent stake by investing approximately CAD 23 million (USD 16.6 million) under the agreement.

JOGMEC will invest CAD 3 million (USD 2.1 million) in Phase 1 and CAD 7 million (USD 5 million) in Phase 2 to secure a 40 per cent stake in the Lofdal project. A further CAD 13 million (USD 9.4 million) commitment in Phase 3 would allow it to increase its interest by an additional 10 per cent.

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Toyota Tsusho Corporation is also expected to join the project through JOGMEC’s participation.

Namibia Critical Metals currently holds a 95 per cent stake in Lofdal, while 5 per cent is reserved for local stakeholders. The company said the new appointment will support the next stage of development and help move the project closer to production.