NEW YORK, July 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Critical Metals Corp. (Nasdaq: CRML) (“Critical Metals Corp” or the “Company”), a leading critical minerals mining company, today announced the Mrima Earth Limited Consortium (the “Consortium”), in which Critical Metals is the lead party, has been shortlisted as one of only three American finalists, from an initial field of seven bidders, to proceed to the final stage of the Government of Kenya's competitive tender process for the right to develop the Mrima Hill rare earth and niobium project in Kwale County, Kenya, a powerful endorsement of the Consortium’s financial strength, world-class technical capability and vision of developing Mrima Hill and Kenya as a regional rare earth processing hub.

Mrima Hill is widely regarded as one of the most significant undeveloped rare earth and niobium deposits globally, positioned on Kenya’s southern coast with direct access to the Port of Mombasa. The opportunity arrives at a pivotal moment for the industry: China currently controls approximately 90% of global rare earth supply and has signaled it will increasingly prioritize domestic needs, while demand for the rare earth magnets that power EVs, wind turbines and defense systems is projected to grow four to six times by 2040. Mrima Hill represents a natural and highly complementary addition to Critical Metals’ existing portfolio, sitting alongside the Company’s Tanbreez rare earth project in Greenland and consolidating its Western-aligned rare earth strategy.

The Consortium is exceptionally well capitalized to deliver. Together with ASX-listed European Lithium Ltd, which holds an approximate 31% interest in Critical Metals, the group carries a combined market capitalization of approximately US$1.5 billion and cash reserves in excess of US$400 million, with the Consortium further supported by institutional investors. This financial strength means the Consortium is fully funded through both the project development stage and Phase 1 construction.

The Consortium is built for speed as well as scale. An accelerated development approach, combining parallel engineering, permitting and procurement, early mobilization of EPC and technical contractors, and fast-tracked long-lead equipment procurement is expected to be designed to deliver earlier first production and earlier cash flow generation than a conventional development timeline would allow. The Consortium’s ambition extends across the full rare earth value chain, from initial concentrate production through to separated rare earth oxides and, ultimately, the production of high-value NdPr magnets — the single most valuable product in the rare earth supply chain, and one currently dominated entirely by China.

Underpinning all of this is a technical team that has not just studied rare earth projects but helped build them, including Molycorp’s Mountain Pass project in California (now owned by MP Materials), Pensana’s Longonjo project in Angola, NioCorp’s US$1 billion Elk Creek project in Nebraska, and Peak Resources’ Ngualla project in Tanzania. The Consortium’s long-term vision extends beyond mining to position Mrima Hill at the center of a regional rare earth processing hub, creating thousands of jobs across East and Southern Africa and underpinned by full alignment with IFC Performance Standards, the Equator Principles and the UN Global Compact.

Tony Sage, Chairman of CRML, commented:

“Being shortlisted for the final stage of this process is a defining moment for Critical Metals and our Consortium. Mrima Hill is precisely the kind of world-class, strategically located asset we have built this Company to pursue, and it sits perfectly alongside Tanbreez, further strengthening our Western-aligned rare earth strategy. We are deeply grateful to the Government of Kenya for the trust it has placed in us and our commitment of delivering lasting value for Kenya as this process moves into its final stage.”

The Consortium will now turn its full attention to the final stage of the Government’s evaluation process, with further updates to be provided in due course.

About Critical Metals Corp.

Critical Metals Corp (Nasdaq: CRML) is a leading mining development company focused on critical metals and minerals and producing strategic products essential to electrification and next-generation technologies for Europe and its Western world partners. Its flagship Project, Tanbreez, is one of the world's largest, rare earth deposits and is located in Southern Greenland. The deposit is expected to have access to key transportation outlets as the area features year-round direct shipping access via deep water fjords that lead directly to the North Atlantic Ocean.

Another key asset is the Wolfsberg Lithium Project located in Carinthia, 270 km south of Vienna, Austria. The Wolfsberg Lithium Project is the first fully permitted mine in Europe and is strategically located with access to established road and rail infrastructure and is expected to be the next major producer of key lithium products to support the European market. Wolfsberg is well positioned with offtake and downstream partners to become a unique and valuable asset in an expanding geostrategic critical metals portfolio.

With this strategic asset portfolio, Critical Metals Corp is positioned to become a reliable and sustainable supplier of critical minerals essential for defense applications, the clean energy transition, and next-generation technologies in the western world.

For more information, please visit https://www.criticalmetalscorp.com/ .

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements my include expectations of our business and the plans and objectives of management for future operations, including all statements with respect to the Mrima Earth Limited Consortium. These statements constitute projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this news release, forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “target,” “designed to” or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical facts. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected or implied by the forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements for many reasons, including the factors discussed under the “Risk Factors” section in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this news release, and expectations, forecasts and assumptions as of that date, involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

Critical Metals Corp.

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