[SMM Manganese Ore Weekly Review] Insufficient Downstream Demand Support Leads to Manganese Ore Spot Price in the Doldrums

On September 14th, 2026, London-listed Premier African Minerals agreed with Canmax Technologies to extend the long stop date under their restated offtake and prepayment agreement for the Zulu lithium and tantalum project in Zimbabwe, originally signed in August 2023, to December 31. Premier, Zulu Lithium Private, and Canmax also signed a tripartite priority and subordination agreement, giving Canmax contractual priority over amounts owed by Zulu Lithium to Premier and other Premier group members. Other terms remain unchanged. Amounts owed to Canmax, including outstanding prepayment and accrued interest, rank as senior indebtedness about $48.73-million as at September 10. Amounts owed by Zulu Lithium to Premier, including loans, advances, and intercompany balances, rank as subordinated indebtedness about $55.75-million. Premier MD Graham Hill said the extension provides time and certainty to progress Zulu and reach a long-term resolution with Canmax, while the subordination agreement clarifies creditor positions and preserves Premier's claims against Zulu Lithium.

TSX-V-listed Frontier Lithium has appointed DRA Americas to conduct an updated feasibility study on its PAK lithium project in Ontario, Canada. The study will incorporate work completed since the 2025 feasibility study, including value engineering results, with a focus on optimising project economics and derisking execution. Publication is expected in Q1 2027. Frontier Lithium continues to advance permitting and consultation for PAK under Ontario's One Project, One Process framework, alongside Indigenous engagement, environmental studies, and infrastructure initiatives. CEO Trevor Walker said the update aims to capture progress made to date and position the project's "Mine and Mill" stage for its next phase, citing PAK's high grade lithium resource, Ontario location, and rising North American demand for secure domestic critical mineral supply. The move reflects a broader push by North American jurisdictions to build domestic lithium supply chains as automakers and battery makers look beyond China-linked sources, with the updated study marking a standard step toward a final investment decision.

Australia and Frankfurt-listed Vulcan Energy has secured a second lithium production licence, valid six years, for its Lionheart project in Germany, currently under construction. The new Ilka licence follows an earlier grant covering the LiThermEx area, making it the second such licence issued in the Upper Rhine Valley Brine Field and Rhineland-Palatinate state. Lionheart's first phase targets 24,000 t/y of lithium hydroxide monohydrate, enough for about 500,000 EVs annually, alongside 275GWh of renewable power and 560GWh of heat per year from its integrated geothermal component, over an estimated 30 year project life. The Ilka licence expires September 2032, after which Vulcan will seek to merge its two production licences into one. CEO Cris Moreno said the licence validates progress toward becoming Europe's leading low-cost lithium producer, with construction on track for first production in 2028. Lionheart combines brine based lithium extraction with geothermal power, positioning it to supply EV battery-grade lithium hydroxide into the European market without reliance on imported spodumene or carbonate feedstock.