Last Week (9.15-9.19) Overseas Lithium News [SMM New Energy Overseas Weekly News]

Published: Sep 19, 2025 09:04

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[EMP Metals Obtains Construction and Operation Permit for Aurora Project Demonstration Plant]

EMP Metals Corp. is pleased to announce that it has obtained construction and operation permits from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources and the Rural Municipality of Tecumseh No. 65, respectively, to build a lithium refining demonstration plant named "Project Aurora" within the province.

The demonstration plant will be located on the same well pad as the company's existing horizontal well 4B-23 and vertical test well 4A-23, in the Viewfield area of southeastern Saskatchewan. The planning and construction progress for the plant infrastructure are on schedule, site leveling has commenced, and plant construction is planned to begin in early September.

As previously disclosed, Project Aurora is a collaboration between EMP Metals and Saltworks Technologies Inc., aiming to apply innovation, reduce costs, and manage risks associated with lithium brine extraction and refining technology. This direct wellhead-connected demonstration unit will process and purify raw lithium brine into a concentrated lithium chloride solution (CLC), which will then be transported to Saltworks' existing converter plant in Richmond, British Columbia, for the continuous production of lithium chemical products.

About EMP Metals

EMP is a Canadian lithium exploration and development company focused on developing large-scale resources utilizing Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology. The company currently holds over 205,000 net acres (approximately 83,000 hectares) of subsurface mineral rights and strategic well bores in southern Saskatchewan.

Source: Junior of mining

[Lithium Ionic Enhances Projected Returns for Brazilian Project]

Lithium Ionic Corp. stated that the final feasibility study for its Bandeira project in eastern Brazil indicates higher project returns, lower capital costs, and a longer mine life compared to previous calculations.

Benefiting from increased reserves and optimized mine design, the Bandeira project's after-tax net present value (NPV) is now $1.45 billion, up from the $1.31 billion estimated in May 2024. The project's internal rate of return (IRR) improved from 40% to 61%, and the payback period shortened from 3.4 years to 2.2 years. Lithium Ionic released these figures in a statement on Wednesday.

This news of improved economics comes just about four months after Lithium Ionic last increased the project's resource estimate by approximately one-third. The Bandeira project is located in Minas Gerais state, approximately 1,000 km north of Rio de Janeiro. According to a presentation published on the company's website, production at the project is expected to commence in H2 next year.

Lithium Ionic's share price rose 3.8% to C$0.82 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Wednesday morning, giving the company a market capitalization of approximately $130 million. Over the past year, the stock traded between C$0.5 and C$1.15.

Cost advantages

Capital expenditure, including contingencies, is now $191 million, a 28% reduction from the previous $266 million. Operating costs are $378 per mt of spodumene concentrates, which the company stated would place the Bandeira project in the first quartile of global lithium production costs (i.e., the lowest 25% cost range).

The projected operating life of the Bandeira project is 18.5 years, up from 14 years in the previous study. The company indicated that the average annual production of spodumene concentrates over the project's life cycle is expected to be 177,000 mt.

As of May 6, Bandeira's total measured and indicated resources amounted to 27.27 million mt at a grade of 1.34% Li₂O, equivalent to 901,100 mt of LCE, higher than the 696,500 mt in last year's study. The project's inferred resources also increased slightly by 1.9% to 18.55 million mt at a grade of 1.34% Li₂O, equivalent to 615,400 mt of LCE.

The mining rights area for the Bandeira project is approximately 1.6 square kilometers, representing only about 1% of Lithium Ionic's total area of 141.8 square kilometers in Brazil's "Lithium Valley." The region also includes the company's other project, Salinas, located about 120 kilometers north of Bandeira.

Source: mining.com

[EnergyX Acquires Daytona Lithium, Expands Arkansas Resource Footprint]

Pantera Lithium announced on Tuesday that shareholders voted overwhelmingly in favor of the sale of its subsidiary Daytona Lithium to Energy Exploration Technologies (EnergyX).

Daytona Lithium indirectly holds mining rights in southwestern Arkansas; EnergyX is advancing its Lonestar Lithium project in the local Smackover Formation, with its demonstration plant nearing completion.

Earlier this summer, EnergyX acquired an additional 35,000 acres in the Smackover Formation for $26 million, bringing its total land holdings in the belt to 47,500 acres. This lithium-bearing brine formation stretches from Florida to Texas.

In an email, EnergyX stated that the acquisition "strengthens the company's mineral resource base and accelerates the securing of the US lithium supply chain through its direct lithium extraction and refining technology portfolio."

The privately held company has raised over $110 million to date, with investors including international industrial players such as General Motors, Italy's Eni, and South Korea's POSCO. Previously, EnergyX secured 90,000 acres of lithium mining concessions in Chile in 2023 and purchased a 40,000-square-foot production site in Austin, Texas, in 2024.

Source: mining.com

[Savannah Resources Increases Barroso Lithium Mine Reserves by 40%]

Savannah Resources has raised the reserve estimate for its Barroso lithium project in northern Portugal by 40% after completing supplementary exploration, further consolidating the mine's position as Europe's largest spodumene deposit.

The London-listed firm's latest announced reserves exceed 39 million mt, up from the previous estimate of 28 million mt. Following the news, Savannah's stock rose 2.4% during intraday trading, bringing its market capitalization to £104 million (approximately $141.5 million).

Savannah stated in an announcement: "This not only establishes Barroso as a key source of raw materials for Europe's EV battery industry chain, but will also generate substantial long-term value for the local community."

The company plans to build four open-pit mines at Barroso, with combined annual production of lithium concentrates sufficient to meet the battery demand for approximately 500,000 EVs. Subject to permitting and financing, production is expected to commence in 2027.

Once operational, the project is designed to process 1.5 million mt of ore annually over a mine life of around 14 years; this calculation is based on a resource of 20.5 million mt at a grade of 1.05% lithium oxide.

Local and Environmental Opposition

Despite its strategic importance, the Barroso project faces strong opposition from local communities and environmental protection groups. The area has been designated by UNESCO as a "Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System" since 2018, with public concerns that mining could harm land use, water sources, and biodiversity.

Savannah indicated that it is striving to complete the final feasibility study and environmental permitting process by the end of 2024. The company also denied media reports claiming that "a United Nations committee accused the Portuguese government of violating international law during the project approval process."

Source: mining.com

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54 mins ago

[SMM Flash] Zimbabwean Spodumene Concentrate Prices Fall Across All Grades, Led by 5% Li₂O Down 1.99%

Zimbabwean spodumene concentrate prices, CIF Chinese main ports, declined across all three tracked grades on August 7, with the lower-grade material posting the steepest percentage drop. The 6% Li₂O grade (SMM-Li-SC-005) settled at $2,010/tonne, down $25 (-1.23%), trading in a $1,970-$2,050 range. The 5.5% Li₂O grade (SMM-Li-SC-006) closed at $1,885/tonne, down $30 (-1.57%), within a $1,860-$1,910 band. The 5% Li₂O grade (SMM-Li-SC-007) fell hardest, settling at $1,725/tonne, down $35 (-1.99%), with the widest daily range of the three at $1,660-$1,790. The pullback widened the grade differential at the lower end of the curve: the 6%-5.5% spread stood at $125/tonne, while the 5.5%-5% spread widened to $160/tonne, up from typical spread levels, pointing to comparatively softer demand for lower-grade Zimbabwean material relative to higher-Li₂O concentrate on the day. SMM View: The broad-based decline across all three Zimbabwean spodumene grades tracks the wider softness in China's lithium chemical complex, with lower-grade material bearing the brunt of the pullback as buyers favour higher-grade feedstock amid cautious purchasing. SMM will continue to monitor whether the widening 5.5%-5% spread persists into the next pricing session or reflects a single-day liquidity effect.

54 mins ago

57 mins ago

[SMM Analysis] Corica Mali Wins $348M Open-Pit Mining Contract at Ganfeng's Goulamina Lithium Project

Corica Mali, a subsidiary of Corica Mining Services, has been awarded the open-pit mining services contract at the Goulamina spodumene project in Mali, valued at approximately $348 million. The contract follows a competitive tender process and covers six months of pre-production activity followed by a fixed five-year term. Corica has already mobilised to site under an early works arrangement and is currently carrying out pre-strip and direct shipped ore (DSO) mining and crushing. Scope covers grade control, drill and blast, load and haul, and plant ore-feed services, with a planned material movement target of 18-20 Mt/y over the contract term. This figure refers to total mined material (ore plus waste), distinct from finished spodumene concentrate output Goulamina's Stage 1 definitive feasibility study outlines nameplate production of roughly 506,000 tonnes per annum of 6% Li₂O spodumene concentrate (SC6), with test work validating high-quality, low mica concentrate. On logistics, Goulamina is landlocked, located roughly 50 km west of Bougouni in southern Mali, and spodumene concentrate produced at site is trucked overland to coastal ports for onward shipment to end markets, predominantly Chinese converters. Industry practice for landlocked West African spodumene projects is to sell concentrate on an FOB basis at the export port, with the buyer arranging and bearing ocean freight from that point; Mali-origin concentrate has historically moved primarily via Abidjan, with San Pedro and Dakar available as secondary corridors. Specific Incoterms and export routing for Goulamina's commercial shipments were not disclosed in the contract announcement and should be confirmed against offtake documentation rather than assumed. Goulamina holds all key approvals and permits required for production. Ownership has changed since the original mining contract announcement: Ganfeng Lithium, previously a 50% joint-venture partner, acquired the remaining 40% interest from Leo Lithium in a transaction completed through 2024-2025, and now holds the project alongside the Government of Mali's equity interest under the country's revised mining code terms of the state's current stake should be verified against the latest Malian government disclosure rather than the original 10% free-carry figure cited at contract signing. First commercial shipment from Goulamina occurred in August 2025, superseding the original H1 2024 production target referenced when this contract was first announced. Corica has operated in the West African mining services sector for over 20 years and reports more than 2,000 employees, according to company-supplied figures; these have not been independently verified by SMM. SMM View: The Corica contract underlines the scale of open-pit mining services demand accompanying Mali's ramp-up as a spodumene supply source, with an 18-20 Mt/y material movement target supporting Goulamina's roughly 506,000 tpa SC6 nameplate capacity. With Ganfeng now holding full private ownership following its 2024-2025 buyout of Leo Lithium's stake, offtake and logistics decisions at Goulamina sit entirely with Ganfeng and the Malian state, reinforcing China's direct control over a growing share of West African spodumene supply reaching Chinese conversion capacity. SMM will monitor further disclosure on Goulamina's export routing and contractual Incoterms as shipment volumes scale.

57 mins ago

1 hour ago

[SMM Analysis] Zimbabwe Lithium Producers Commit $1.45B to Local Processing, Seek Export Ban Flexibility"

Zimbabwe's lithium producers have collectively committed approximately US$1.45 billion to local beneficiation infrastructure, according to Lithium Producers Association Chairman Innocent Rukweza, who also heads Mutapa Energy Resources. Speaking at the Mine Entra Beneficiation and Value Addition Symposium in Bulawayo, Rukweza said the industry has sought government flexibility on the pending export restriction on unbeneficiated spodumene concentrate, citing limited sulphate-plant readiness across the sector. SMM notes the ban's effective date and any adjustment to it should be confirmed against the latest government notice rather than symposium commentary, and that the US$1.45 billion figure is association-reported and has not been independently verified. Of seven major producers, only the Huayou-linked plant at Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe's Arcadia site has completed and commissioned sulphate conversion capacity to date. The US$400 million facility exported Africa's first locally produced lithium sulphate in April 2026 and is now operating. Sinomine's US$500 million sulphate plant at Bikita remains under construction, Kamativi Mining Company's US$200 million-plus sulphate project is at investment stage with commissioning status unconfirmed, and a fourth, unnamed facility is targeted for end-2027. The gap between committed capital and commissioned output is the operative supply constraint behind the industry's request for timeline flexibility: the remaining producers are still moving concentrate rather than sulphate and would be directly exposed if the unbeneficiated export restriction takes effect before their plants come online. Logistics add a further layer of risk to that timeline. Spodumene concentrate is currently exported CIF China, routed predominantly via Beira in Mozambique and Durban in South Africa, and sulphate output from commissioned and future plants will likely need to move through the same corridors absent dedicated arrangements. ZETDC grid instability continues to affect processing-plant uptime, bearing directly on how quickly the remaining sulphate facilities can ramp to nameplate capacity once commissioned, while congestion at the Machipanda border post and along the Beitbridge Durban and Maputo rail corridors affects turnaround times independent of on-site production readiness. Even where sulphate capacity comes online on schedule, these constraints will shape whether the sector can convert commissioned capacity into consistent export volumes ahead of any tightened concentrate-export policy. On the fiscal side, the industry's effective tax burden is estimated at around 40% of sales revenue, comprising a 10% export tax on unbeneficiated lithium, 7% royalties, a 3% community development levy, a 1% MMCZ marketing fee and 15.5% VAT, before corporate income tax, payroll and foreign currency retention requirements are added. The association has called for a review, noting Zimbabwe's rate sits above global peers. Beyond lithium, the association has pointed to unrecovered value in tantalum, niobium and caesium from lithium operations, and government has since introduced mandatory mineral declaration and on-site assay laboratory requirements at producing mines. Specific loss and investment figures cited for this by-product stream were not independently attributed at the symposium and are not carried here pending primary sourcing. SMM View: Zimbabwe's beneficiation drive is currently a one-plant story, with Arcadia commissioned and exporting sulphate while Bikita, Kamativi and the fourth facility remain at construction or investment stage. The binding constraints on closing that gap are not purely financial grid reliability and corridor congestion at Machipanda and along the Beitbridge–Durban and Maputo routes will shape how quickly commissioned capacity converts into consistent export volumes. The roughly 40% effective tax burden remains a separate and likely more durable point of friction with Harare. SMM will confirm the committed investment figure and current export-policy status once further primary disclosures are available.

1 hour ago