Electra appoints general manager to lead cobalt refinery commissioning

TORONTO, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Electra Battery Materials Corporation (NASDAQ: ELBM; TSX-V: ELBM) (“ Electra ” or the “ Company ”) today announced the appointment of Garzon Duenas as General Manager and Commissioning Leader, effective today. The appointment strengthens Electra’s operating leadership as the Company prepares to transition its Ontario cobalt sulfate refinery from construction through commissioning, ramp-up and commercial operations.

Construction remains on budget, with select commissioning activities targeted to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, mechanical completion targeted for the second quarter of 2027, full commissioning and production ramp-up expected in the third quarter of 2027, and commercial production targeted for the fourth quarter of 2027.

Mr. Duenas holds a Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical Engineering and brings more than three decades of experience managing, commissioning and operating mineral processing plants and refining facilities in Canada and internationally. His background spans cobalt, nickel, copper, platinum group metals, gold and specialty chemicals, with extensive experience in operational readiness, process optimization, team development and the safe transition of processing facilities into production.

“With mechanical completion targeted for the second quarter of 2027, we are now building the team and operating systems needed to commission the refinery and bring it into production safely and reliably,” said Trent Mell, CEO. “Garzon and I have worked together before, and I have seen firsthand the discipline and operating focus he brings. He sets high performance standards, drives continuous improvement and develops the people around him to deliver against those standards. I know what he can deliver and I am confident he is the right leader to help take the refinery from construction through commissioning and into operations.”

As Electra’s General Manager, Mr. Duenas will lead operational readiness and the transition of the Company’s refinery from construction through commissioning, start-up and into steady-state operations. He will be responsible for building and leading the commissioning and operating teams, establishing the systems, procedures and operating discipline required for safe and reliable production, and working closely with the project team to ensure a seamless transition from construction to operations.

During his career, Mr. Duenas managed the commissioning and start-up of a 3,000-tonne-per-year nickel and cobalt processing facility in the Philippines that produced high-purity nickel and cobalt salts using leaching and solvent extraction, both core unit operations in Electra’s refinery. He later served as project manager for the engineering, procurement and construction management of a nickel refinery and led the commissioning of a nickel concentrator through to commercial production. He has also overseen concentrator operations of up to 20,000 tonnes per day, water-treatment systems, maintenance programs, operating budgets and continuous-improvement initiatives.