Overseas Lithium News [SMM New Energy Overseas Weekly News]

[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" in the province.

The demonstration plant will be located at the same wellsite 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 of the plant infrastructure are on schedule, site grading 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., aimed at applying innovation, reducing costs, and managing risks associated with lithium brine extraction and refining technologies. This direct wellhead 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 continuous production of lithium chemical products.

About EMP Metals

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

Source: Junior of ming

[Lithium Ionic Enhances Expected Returns for Brazilian Project]

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

Due to increased reserves and optimized mine design, the after-tax net present value (NPV) of the Bandeira project 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 economic benefits 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, about 1,000 km north of Rio de Janeiro. According to a presentation published on the company's website, production is expected to commence in H2 next year.

Lithium Ionic's stock rose 3.8% to C$0.82 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Wednesday morning, with 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 expenditures, including contingency costs, are now $191 million, a 28% reduction from the previous $266 million. Operating costs are $378 per mt of spodumene concentrates, which the company states will position the Bandeira project in the first quartile (lowest 25%) of global lithium production costs.

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 proven 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. Inferred resources for the project 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 covers approximately 1.6 km², representing only about 1% of Lithium Ionic's total area of 141.8 km² in Brazil's "Lithium Valley." The region also includes the company's other project, Salinas, located about 120 km 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, where a demonstration plant is nearing completion.

This summer, EnergyX acquired an additional 35,000 acres in the Smackover for $26 million. This lithium-bearing brine formation extends from Florida to Texas, bringing EnergyX's total mining rights in the belt to 47,500 acres.

In an email, EnergyX stated that this 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 firm has raised over $110 million to date, with investments from international industrial players including General Motors, Italy's Eni, and South Korea's POSCO. Previously, EnergyX secured 90,000 acres of lithium 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 its reserve estimate for the 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 share price rose 2.4% during the trading session, bringing its market capitalization to £104 million (approximately $141.5 million).

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

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

Once operational, the project is designed to process 1.5 million mt of ore annually over an estimated mine life of about 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 inspection teams. The area has been designated a "Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System" by UNESCO since 2018, and the public is concerned that mining may harm land use, water sources, and biodiversity.

Savannah stated that it is striving to complete the final feasibility study and environmental protection permitting process by the end of this year. 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