Can Battery Age Overcome Supply-Chain Risks to Deliver EU Germanium?

Strategic Appointment to Navigate EU Critical Minerals Landscape

Battery Age Minerals Ltd (ASX – BM8) has taken a decisive step to embed its Bleiberg Zinc Germanium Project firmly within Europe’s evolving critical minerals ecosystem by appointing DGWA, a Frankfurt-based investment banking and corporate advisory firm, as its strategic European advisor. This move signals Battery Age’s intent to deepen its footprint in the European Union, which is rapidly advancing its Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) to secure supply chains for metals vital to high-tech industries.

DGWA’s role extends beyond traditional investor relations, aiming to open doors to influential industrial groups, technology supply chains, policy bodies, and capital markets across Europe. The partnership arrives at a critical juncture as the EU seeks to reduce dependence on external suppliers, particularly in light of China’s recent export restrictions on germanium and gallium.

Bleiberg – A High-Grade Germanium Asset with Strategic EU Relevance

The Bleiberg project, located in Carinthia, Austria, is historically one of Europe’s most significant germanium producers, with concentrate grades reaching up to 1,500 grams per tonne; well above modern economic thresholds. Past production exceeded 300 tonnes of refined germanium, underscoring its potential as a cornerstone for Europe’s semiconductor, defence, optics, and clean energy sectors.

Battery Age’s extensive tenure of over 330 square kilometres across Bleiberg and the adjacent Hochobir area represents one of the largest germanium-focused landholdings in the EU. The company has identified more than six kilometres of priority drill targets along historic high-grade mining corridors, supported by over a century of geological data.

Engagement Program Targets EU Capitals Amid Supply-Chain Tightness

CEO Nigel Broomham is set to lead a high-level engagement program in Berlin and Vienna, meeting with key stakeholders involved in critical minerals policy, strategic raw-material planning, and supply-chain security. These discussions aim to align Bleiberg with the objectives of the EU’s CRMA, positioning Battery Age as a reliable domestic source of germanium and related specialty metals.

With germanium’s critical role in emerging technologies such as silicon-germanium chips, fibre optics, and military photonics, the EU’s prioritisation of secure, transparent, and sustainable supply chains places Battery Age in a strategically advantageous position. DGWA’s CEO Stefan Müller emphasised the project’s potential to re-establish a European cornerstone for critical minerals supply.

Looking Ahead – Building European Partnerships and Market Presence

Battery Age’s collaboration with DGWA is expected to facilitate introductions to strategic industry groups and EU-aligned investors, strengthening the company’s pathway to partnerships and capital necessary to advance Bleiberg. As global supply chains remain volatile, particularly with ongoing geopolitical tensions affecting raw material flows, Battery Age’s proactive European engagement could prove pivotal in securing its role within the continent’s critical minerals future.