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Atlantic Lithium
Overview
Atlantic Lithium Limited (AIM: ALL, ASX: A11,GSE: ALLGH, OTCQX:ALLIF) is an African-focused lithium exploration and development company advancing its flagship Ewoyaa Lithium project through to production as Ghana’s first lithium mine. Despite its long mining history, favourable regulatory climate and stable political backdrop, Ghana remains largely overlooked as an investment jurisdiction for battery metals. Situated on the West African coast, the country boasts a strong strategic location, between Europe, the Americas and Asia, to serve the global battery metals market. Ghana is also home to an abundance of mineral wealth, with c. 180,000 tonnes of estimated lithium resources.
Atlantic Lithium intends to produce spodumene concentrate capable of conversion to lithium hydroxide and carbonate for use in electric vehicle batteries, helping drive the transition to decarbonisation.
A definitive feasibility study (DFS) released in June 2023 shows Ewoyaa has demonstrable economic viability, low capital intensity and excellent profitability. After drilling at the new Dog-Leg target, with high-grade assay results, the JORC mineral resource estimate at Ewoyaa now stands at 36.8 million tons (Mt) at 1.24 percent lithium oxide, 81 of which is now in the higher confidence measured and indicated categories (3.7 Mt at 1.37 percent in the measured category, 26.1 Mt at 1.24 percent in the indicated category, and 7 Mt @ 1.15 percent in the Inferred category).
Through simple open-pit mining, three-stage crushing and conventional Dense Media Separation (DMS) processing, the DFS (also considering the fiscal terms agreed upon the grant of the Mining Lease for the project in October 2023) outlines the production of 3.6 Mt of spodumene concentrate over a 12-year mine life, delivering US$6.6 billion life-of-mine revenues, a post-tax NPV8 of US$1.3 billion and an internal rate of return of 94 percent.
The project is expected to deliver nameplate production from its plant as early as 2026.
As of September 2024, Atlantic Lithium has reached some important milestones in the permitting process for the Ewoyaa project, which includes granting of a mining lease, securing the Environmental Protection Agency permit, and introduction and commencement of trading on the Main Market of the Ghana Stock Exchange, as agreed under the terms of the grant of the Ewoyaa mining lease.
The mining lease for the Ewoyaa project has been submitted to the Ghana parliament to undergo a ratification process.
Project Funding
The development of the project is co-funded under an agreement with NASDAQ and ASX-listed Piedmont Lithium (ASX:PLL), with Piedmont expected to fund c. 70 percent of the US$185 million total development expenditure indicated by the DFS.
In accordance with the agreement, Piedmont has completed funding of US$25 million towards studies and exploration, and will sole fund an initial US$70 million, plus 50 percent of costs thereafter (shared 50:50 between Atlantic Lithium and Piedmont), towards the total development expenditure for the project, as indicated by the DFS.
In return, Piedmont will receive 50 percent of the spodumene concentrate produced at Ewoyaa, providing a route to consumers through several major battery manufacturers, including Tesla.
The Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), Ghana’s minerals sovereign wealth fund, has also agreed to invest a total of US$32.9 million in the company and at the project-level to expedite the development of the project.
Representing the first part of the Strategic Investment, MIIF completed a Subscription for US$5 million Atlantic Lithium shares in January 2024, to become a major strategic shareholder in the company.
Representing the second part of the Strategic Investment, MIIF has agreed to invest, subject to the company reaching a binding agreement with MIIF, US$27.9 million in the company's Ghanaian subsidiaries to acquire a 6 percent contributing interest in the project. The US$27.9 million project-level investment and the contributing interest are expected to take the form of funding for development, exploration and studies expenditure to support the advancement of the project.
In addition, Atlantic Lithium is in the final stages of a competitive offtake partnering process to secure funding for a portion of the remaining 50 percent available feedstock from Ewoyaa.
The objective of the process is to attract funding offers to sufficiently cover the Company's allocation of development expenditure for the Project, to expedite and de-risk the development of the Project, realise attractive terms for any offtake contracted and secure a well-credentialled partner that will support the company's and Ghana's objectives of supplying lithium into the global electric vehicle market.
The company has indicated its preferred terms of up to 500,000 tons of spodumene concentrate to be contracted over a 3- to 5-year period, using a favourable market-based pricing mechanism, for a consideration of up to US$100 million in the form of a pre-payment arrangement, which is expected to sufficiently cover the company’s allocation of development expenditure.
Ghana
Ghana is a well-established mining region with access to reliable, existing infrastructure and a significant mining workforce. There are currently 16 operating mines in the country.
Already the largest taxpayer and employer in Ghana’s Central Region, Atlantic Lithium is expected to provide direct employment to over 800 personnel at Ewoyaa and, through its community development fund, whereby 1 percent of profits will be allocated to local initiatives, will deliver long-lasting benefits to the region and Ghana.
Through its proven lithium discovery, exploration and evaluation methodologies, Atlantic Lithium has the potential to capitalise on its extensive exploration portfolio and deliver upon its objectives of becoming a leading producer of lithium in West Africa.
Company Highlights
- A lithium exploration and development company operating in West Africa, Atlantic Lithium is set to deliver its flagship Ewoyaa lithium project as Ghana’s first lithium-producing mine.
- The June 2023 definitive feasibility study for the project indicates the production of 3.6 Mt of spodumene concentrate over a 12-year mine life (steady state production of 365,000 tonnes per annum), making it one of the largest mines by production capacity globally.
- The Ewoyaa project has an updated mineral resource estimate of 36.8 Mt at 1.24 percent lithium oxide.
- The DFS confirms Ewoyaa as one of the lowest capital and operating cost hard rock lithium projects globally, with strong commercial viability and exceptional profitability potential.
- The Ewoyaa lithium project was awarded a mining lease in October 2023 and was granted an EPA permit in September 2024. The project is co-funded under an agreement with Piedmont Lithium. The Ghana Environmental Protection Agency granted the EPA permit
- Atlantic Lithium holds a portfolio of lithium projects within 509 sq km and 774 sq km of granted and under-application tenure across Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire respectively.
Key Assets
Ewoyaa
Atlantic Lithium's flagship Ewoyaa lithium project is situated within 110 kilometres of Takoradi Port and 100 kilometres of Accra, with access to excellent infrastructure and a skilled local workforce.
Atlantic Lithium was granted a mining lease and an EPA permit in respect of the project in October 2023 and September 2024, respectively. The company is currently advancing the project towards production.
Highlights:
- Promising DFS Results: Atlantic Lithium's DFS reaffirmed Ewoyaa as an industry-leading asset with low capital intensity and excellent profitability. Highlights include:
- Estimated 12-year life of mine, producing 3.6 Mt spodumene concentrate.
- 365 ktpa steady state production
- Average LOM EBITDA of US$316 million per annum
- NPV of US$1.3 billion
- Life-of-mine revenues of US$6.6 billion
- Modest $185 million development expenditure
- Robust US$675/t All in sustaining cost and US$377 C1 cash cost.
- Favourable Location: The project's starter pits are positioned within one kilometre of its processing plant. Additionally, Ewoyaa has access to reliable existing infrastructure, located within 800 metres from the N1 highway and adjacent to grid power.
- Promising Reserves: Ewoyaa's current mineral resource estimate (as of July 2024) at is 36.8 Mt at 1.24 percent lithium oxide, of which 81 percent is now in the higher confidence measured and indicated categories (3.7 Mt at 1.37 percent lithium oxide in the measured category, and 26.1 Mt at 1.24 percent lithium oxide in the indicated category, and 7 Mt @ 1.15 percent lithium in the inferred category).
- Potential for Further Exploration: There remains significant exploration potential, with only 1 percent of Atlantic Lithium's total tenure having been drilled to date.
- Strong Partnerships: Atlantic Lithium has a 50-percent offtake deal with Piedmont Lithium, which itself has offtake agreements with both Tesla and LG Chem, and has an agreed with Ghana’s Minerals Income Investment Fund to expedite the development of the Project.
- Positive Presence: Atlantic Lithium will generate significant economic benefits for the region. Once operational, the project is expected to employ over 800 personnel and deliver approximately US$4.9 billion in value to Ghana, including through taxes, royalties, employment and local procurement.
Côte d'Ivoire
Atlantic Lithium currently has two applications pending for an area of roughly 774 square kilometres in the West African country of Côte d'Ivoire. The underexplored yet highly prospective region is known to be underlain by prolific birimian greenstone belts, characterised by fractionated granitic intrusive centres with lithium and colombite-tantalum occurrences and outcropping pegmatites. The area is also incredibly well-served, with extensive road infrastructure, well-established cellular network and high-voltage transmission line within 100 kilometres of the country's economic capital, Abidjan.
Management Team
Neil Herbert - Executive Chairman
Neil Herbert is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and has over 30 years of experience in finance. He has been involved in growing mining and oil and gas companies, both as an executive and as an investor, for over 25 years.
Until May 2013, he was co-chairman and managing director of AIM-quoted Polo Resources, a natural resources investment company. Prior to this, Herbert was a director of resource investment company Galahad Gold, after which he became finance director of its most successful investment, the start-up uranium company UraMin, from 2005 to 2007. During this period, he worked to float the company on AIM and the Toronto Stock Exchange in 2006, raise US$400 million in equity financing and negotiate the sale of the group for US$2.5 billion.
Herbert has held board positions at a number of resource companies where he has been involved in managing numerous acquisitions, disposals, stock market listings and fundraisings. He holds a joint honours degree in economics and economic history from the University of Leicester.
Keith Muller - Chief Executive Officer
Keith Muller is a mining engineer with over 20 years of operational and leadership experience across domestic and international mining, including in the lithium sector. He has a strong operational background in hard rock lithium mining and processing, particularly in DMS spodumene processing.
Before joining Atlantic Lithium, he held roles as both a business leader and general manager at Allkem, where he worked on the Mt Cattlin lithium mine in Western Australia and, prior to that, Muller served as operations manager and senior mining engineer at Simec.
Muller holds a Master of Mining Engineering from the University of New South Wales and a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Pretoria. He is also a member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, the Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland, and the Engineering Council of South Africa.
Amanda Harsas - Finance Director and Company Secretary
Amanda Harsas is a senior finance executive with a demonstrable track record and over 25 years’ experience in strategic finance, business transformation, commercial finance, customer and supplier negotiations and capital management. Prior to joining Atlantic Lithium, she worked in several sectors, including healthcare, insurance, retail and professional services, across Asia, Europe and the U.S. Harsas holds a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney and is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Kieran Daly - Non-executive Director
Kieran Daly is the executive of Growth and Strategic Development at Assore. He holds a BSc Mining Engineering from Camborne School of Mines (1991) and an MBA from Wits Business School (2001) and worked in investment banking/equity research for more than 10 years at UBS, Macquarie and Investec, prior to joining Assore in 2018.
Daly spent the first 15 years of his mining career at Anglo American’s coal division (Anglo Coal) in a number of international roles including operations, sales and marketing, strategy and business development. Among his key roles were leading and developing Anglo Coal's marketing efforts in Asia and to steel industry customers globally. He was also the Global Head of Strategy for Anglo Coal immediately prior to leaving Anglo in 2007.
Christelle Van Der Merwe - Non-executive Director
Christelle Van Der Merwe is a mining geologist responsible for the mining-related geology and resources of Assore’s subsidiary companies (comprising the pyrophyllite and chromite mines) and is also concerned with the company's iron and manganese mines. She has been the Assore group geologist since 2013 and is involved with the strategic and resource investment decisions of the company. Van Der Merwe is a member of SACNASP and the GSSA.
Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng - Non-executive Director
Edward Koranteng is a lawyer and an experienced corporate and investment banker with over 23 years of experience. He has served as the chief executive officer of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), Ghana’s sovereign minerals wealth fund, since 2021.
Prior to joining MIIF, Koranteng held the role of Business Head for East, Central and Southern Africa for Ghana International Bank plc ("GHIB"), where he was responsible for GHIB's energy and mining portfolio. He also worked with the Chase Bank Group (Kenya), now SBM Bank of Mauritius, as group head for energy, oil, gas and mining. Koranteng currently sits on the boards of Asante Gold Corporation, MIIF and Glico General Insurance Ltd.
Koranteng holds a BA (Hons) from the University of Ghana, a Master of Laws in International Banking and Finance from the University of Leeds in the UK, a Postgraduate Diploma from BPP Law School in the UK and the Ghana School of Law. He has practiced as a barrister in both the UK and Ghana and holds various executive and postgraduate certifications, including in oil, gas and mining from the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford in the UK.
Jonathan Henry - Independent Non-executive Director
Jonathan Henry is an experienced Non-Executive Director, having held various leadership and board roles for nearly two decades. Henry has significant expertise working across capital markets, business development, project financing, key stakeholder engagement, and the reporting and implementation of ESG-focused initiatives. Henry has a wealth of experience projects towards production and commercialisation to deliver shareholder value.
Henry also serves as non-executive chair of Toronto Venture Exchange-listed (TSX-V) Giyani Metals Corporation, a battery development company advancing its portfolio of manganese oxide projects in Botswana, having previously held the role of executive chair. His previous roles include as executive chair and non-executive director at Ormonde Mining plc, non-executive director at Ashanti Gold Corporation, president, director and chief executive officer at Gabriel Resources Limited and various roles, including chief executive officer and managing director, at Avocet Mining PLC. He holds a BA (Hons) in Natural Sciences from Trinity College, Dublin.
Michael Bourguignon – Head of Capital Projects
Michael Bourguignon is a distinguished project management professional with a rich history of leading significant initiatives in the mining and energy sectors. Most recently, he served as the COO at Evolution Energy Minerals in Tanzania, where he managed the optimisation and update of the Definitive Feasibility Study, managed the Front-End Engineering Design package, and oversaw the completion of the Relocation Action Plan and other community-related works.
Prior to this, Bourguignon worked with Rio Tinto in Australia as a consulting construction manager, as well as Glencore’s Mopani Copper Mines in Zambia, where he was the project director for the Mopani Synclinorium Concentrator, and Syrah’s Balama Graphite Mine in Mozambique, where he was project director. He has also previously worked in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire with Perseus Mining.
Bourguignon holds an MBA from Murdoch University and is a member of the Australian Institute of Project Management.
Andrew Henry – General Manager, Commercial and Finance
Andrew Henry is an accomplished General Manager with over a decade’s experience in the operational mining sector, specialising in strategy, planning and analysis, contracts, large-scale project development and site operations.
Before joining Atlantic Lithium, Henry held the role of commercial manager at global lithium chemicals company Allkem and, prior to that, he spent over four years with major gold mining company Newcrest Mining.
Henry holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of South Australia and is a member of CPA Australia.
Ahmed-Salim Adam – General Manager, Operations
Ahmed-Salim Adam is an experienced mining general manager with over 15 years of experience leading various large-scale projects in Ghana across all stages of mine development, production, and closure, with a focus on safety and sustainability.
Adam has previously held a number of leadership roles, including as senior consultant of Metallurgy at GEOMAN Consult Ltd, as a director for FGR Bogoso Prestea Ltd’s Refractory Project and as general manager at Golden Star Resources Ltd.
He holds a MPhil Minerals Engineering and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Mineral Engineering, both from the University of Mines and Technology, Ghana. He is also a member of The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) in the United Kingdom and the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) in Australia.
Simone Horsfall - General Manager, People
Simone Horsfall joins Atlantic Lithium as General Manager, People with over 25 years of experience working across a broad range of industries, with a focus on the mining sector. Previously, Horsfall spent over a decade at AngloGold Ashanti Australia as human resources manager and, more recently, at 29Metals as group manager of human resources.
Horsfall holds a diploma in Human Resource Management, a university certificate in Psychology from Edith Cowan University, Sydney, and a post-graduate diploma in Human Resources from Deakin University.
Belinda Gethin – General Manager, Corporate Finance and Company Secretary
Belinda assumed the role of general manager, corporate - finance and company secretary in January 2024, having initially joined the company as financial reporting manager in June 2023. To her role at Atlantic Lithium, Gethin brings a wealth of experience in all aspects of statutory, financial and corporate reporting, including the preparation of financial statements and accounting for complex transactions. Before joining Atlantic Lithium, Gethin worked as the chief financial officer for Lumus Imaging and, prior to that, as the group reporting manager at Healius. Gethin is a chartered accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from UNSW in Sydney, Australia.
Iwan Williams – General Manager, Exploration
Iwan Williams is an exploration geologist with over 20 years' experience across a broad range of commodities, principally iron ore, manganese, gold, copper (porphyry and sed. hosted), PGE's, nickel and other base metals, as well as chromitite, phosphates, coal and diamond.
Williams has extensive southern and west African experience and has worked in Central and South America. His experience includes all aspects of exploration management, project generation, opportunity reviews, due diligence and mine geology. He has extensive studies experience having participated in the delivery of multiple project studies including resource, mine design criteria, baseline environmental and social studies and metallurgical test-work programmes. He is very familiar with working in Africa having spent 23 years of his 28-year geological career in Africa. Williams is a graduate of the University of Liverpool.
Abdul Razak – Exploration Manager, Ghana
Abdul Razak has extensive exploration, resource evaluation and project management experience throughout West Africa with a strong focus on data-rich environments. He has extensive gold experience having worked throughout Ghana with AngloGold Ashanti, Goldfields Ghana, Perseus and Golden Star, as well as international exploration and resource evaluation experience in Burkina Faso, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Guinea.
Razak is an integral member of the team, managing all site activities including drilling, laboratory, local teams, geotech and hydro, community consultations and stakeholder engagements and was instrumental in establishment of the current development team and defining Ghana’s maiden lithium resource estimate.
Infill Soil Sampling at Dundas to Further Define Lithium Drill Targets
A number of areas of interest were identified in the previously completed regional soil sampling program, particularly on Dundas North tenements E28/3027 and E28/3028 where broad lithium in soil anomalism was identified across an area of 35km2 and up to 147ppm Li1.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Infill soil sampling program of ~500 samples to further test previously identified lithium in soil anomalism of up to 147ppm Li1
- Dundas North tenements to be tested across three large lithium targets up to 35km2, as identified in March 2023. Sampling to be completed down to granularity of 200m x 100m in some areas
- On-ground works at the Company’s Brazil lithium projects in Lithium Valley is in progress with results expected imminently
Lightning Minerals Managing Director Alex Biggs said, “It’s good to be getting back to our works at Dundas following a period of review. We are focusing on areas of interest that have been previously identified as containing lithium in soil anomalism. Our work program is focused and targeted and will allow us to identify appropriate drill targets for a future exploration program. The infill soil sampling on our Dundas North tenements is of particular interest as it allows for us to develop higher confidence drill targets across the project areas. As much as our focus is on Brazil and our accelerated exploration on those projects it is important that we further our efforts at Dundas also particularly as we have gained significant knowledge of the region since our works began there in 2022. The Company now possesses lithium exploration potential in three of the strongest jurisdictions globally for the commodity which sets us up well for success as we move forwards.”
Dundas North Infill Soil Sampling
Phase 1 soil sampling was completed during Q1 and Q2 of CY2023 with samples collected on a nominal 400m x 400m grid across the tenements, with analysis completed by LabWest Minerals Analysis (LabWest). Analysis utilised the Ultrafine + (UFF+) method with chemical analysis for a suite of 62 elements including lithium and associated pathfinders typically used for identification of lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) mineralisation.
The tenor of background lithium level within the project area and the Mt Belches lithological unit appears to be approximately 40-60ppm lithium. The elevated zones returning multiple samples with values above 80ppm lithium and up to a peak result of 147ppm lithium. Results are thought to provide sound vectors toward potential mineralisation as the elevations are clustered and are proximal to suitable granitic protoliths within the ‘goldilocks zone’ for LCT pegmatite mineralisation. The ‘goldilocks zone’ is typically estimated to be between 2km and 10km from the source granitic body.
This geological setting therefore requires follow up exploration works to ascertain the source of the anomalies and forms the basis of the infill soil sampling program as shown in Figure 1. Infill sampling will be completed down to a granularity of 200m x 100m.
Figure 1: Lightning Minerals - Dundas North tenure showing UFF+ lithium soil geochemistry results (as reported 01 May 2023) and planned areas of infill soil sampling as highlighted in yellow polygons on geophysical aeromagnetic analytic signal image.
Dundas South Infill Soil Sampling
Soil sampling will also be undertaken at the Dundas South project area following up zones of interest identified by the regional soil program. Grids of differing resolutions will be completed across tenements E63/2028, E63,1932, E15/1748 and E63/1993 down to a minimum of 200m x 200m. Targeting criteria in these areas focus mainly on existing results for lithium and its pathfinder elements identified during the reginal program (as reported in ASX Announcement 23 March 2023), but also aim to assess gold/nickel potential as the genetic models can share attributes regarding lithologies, geochemistry and rheology. The planned sites are shown on Figure 2 below, modifications may be undertaken in the field as guided by the supervising geologist.
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This article includes content from Lightning Minerals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Lithium Universe
Overview
Lithium Universe (ASX:LU7) is dedicated to closing the ‘Lithium Conversion Gap’ in North America by developing a mine-to-battery-grade lithium carbonate strategy in Québec, Canada. Our mission is to support the supply chain needs of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), particularly in the automotive sector, by converting spodumene supply into lithium chemicals for EV battery plants North America.
Our business model focuses on converting spodumene supplies under "take or pay" agreements with OEMs. These agreements include protective pricing mechanisms, such as floor and ceiling prices, to ensure stable margins and mitigate market volatility. This approach guarantees our LU7 refinery's payback while providing OEMs with a reliable and sustainable supply of lithium chemicals.
Company Highlights
- Focussed on closing the Lithium Conversion Gap in North America by establishing a 16,000 tpa lithium carbonate plant at Bécancour, Québec
- Definitive feasibility study has commenced and initial metallurgical testing is yielding results greater than battery grade specification.
- Led by lithium development veteran Iggy Tan, who seeks to replicate his successes at Galaxy Resources with Lithium Universe.
- The company is composed of lithium industry leaders, named the ‘Lithium Dream Team’, representing multiple decades of combined experience in mining exploration, development, production and operations.
The ’Lithium Conversion Gap’
North America anticipates a surge in battery manufacturing, with over 20 major manufacturers planning to deploy an estimated 1,000 GW of battery capacity. These are companies such as General Motors, LG Energy Solution, Ford, Power Co, Northvolt, Tesla, AESC, Toyota and Honda. Assuming the planned battery manufacturing capacity of 1,000 GW by 2028, using a ratio of 850 g lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) per KWh, the company estimates that 850,000 tons of LCE per annum will be required to satisfy demand in North America.
On the supply side, Canada has surpassed China to claim the top spot in BloombergNEF’s Global Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain Ranking, a comprehensive annual evaluation of 30 countries’ potential to develop secure, reliable, and sustainable lithium-ion battery supply chains. Québec has been established as one of the most prospective regions with over 40 companies dedicated to lithium exploration and development. The cumulative lithium resource in just Québec exceeds 500Mt at +1 percent lithium oxide across eight distinct projects, which has increased over 100 percent within the last 12 months. Many companies have plans to develop mines and concentrating facilities to produce spodumene concentrate.
Figure 1: Projected US EV Battery Demand and Announced Battery Production Capacity (2022-2032)
[Source: US Department of Energy, January 2023]
Spodumene concentrate needs to be converted to battery-grade lithium carbonate or hydroxide to be used in the production of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Currently, there are no operational converters in North America and the company estimates approximately only 100,000 tons of planned hard rock converters are slated for construction in the region. The region seeks to decrease dependence on Chinese lithium converters, aligning with both commercial and national security goals. Canada, acknowledging the significance of energy security, has intensified efforts to reduce Chinese involvement in the sector as part of a “decoupling” or “de-risking” strategy, mirroring the actions taken by the United States.
The ’Lithium Dream Team’
The company’s strategy involves assembling a seasoned team of lithium experts renowned for rapidly delivering successful projects, dubbed the 'Lithium Dream Team', boasting extensive expertise in both hard rock lithium extraction and downstream operations, all within a single company.
Lithium Universe is headed by the chairman, Iggy Tan, who is considered a pioneer in the modern lithium industry. Over 20 years ago, Tan was one of the first Australian mining executives to recognize the potential of the emerging lithium-ion battery industry. He led Galaxy Resources and built the Mt Cattlin spodumene project (137,000 tpa of spodumene product) and the downstream Jiangsu lithium carbonate project (with a capacity of 17,000 tpa). This was the first large-scale vertically integrated, mine-to-battery-grade lithium carbonate project in the world.
Joining Iggy on the board are Pat Scallan and Dr. Jingyuan Liu. Scallan is a seasoned veteran of the lithium industry with over 25 years of managing the world-class Greenbushes Mine. He oversaw the mine's many expansions, increasing annual output from 200,000 in 1997 to over 1.4 million tpa today. Liu is widely regarded as a leading technical expert in the lithium industry. He was previously the general manager of development and technologies at Galaxy Resources, where he was responsible for overseeing the construction and commissioning of the Mt Cattlin spodumene project and the world-renowned Jiangsu lithium carbonate plant. Liu has acted as a special adviser to various lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide projects globally.
Additional Dream Team members include: Terry Stark, who previously served as the general manager of operations for both Mt Cattlin and James Bay projects; Roger Pover, with extensive experience as plant manager at Greenbushes and Mt Cattlin; and Huy Nguyen, known for his expertise in the design and construction of the Mt Cattlin mine. John Loxton, who was involved in the construction of the Jiangsu lithium carbonate plant for Hatch Engineering, has also joined the company. John Sobolewski, former CFO and company secretary of Galaxy Resources pivotal in financing both projects, assumes the role of chief financial officer role at Lithium Universe, marking a significant addition to the LU7 team's financial expertise in the lithium domain.
Lithium Carbonate Refinery
The Jiangsu lithium carbonate plant was designed to produce 17,000 tpa of battery-grade lithium carbonate. It adopted advanced Western style continuous process control techniques, setting a standard for lithium refineries globally. The plant now exceeds its design capacity, producing 20,000 tpa, and its battery-grade product ranks among the industry's finest. Constructed and achieving steady-state quality was accomplished within two years of ground-breaking. Lithium Universe plans to replicate the successful design of the Jiangsu lithium carbonate plant entirely, employing the same suppliers, equipment and engineering firm – mitigating the second major risk. Lithium Universe has contracted Hatch Limited to conduct the definitive feasibility study (DFS), the same engineering company responsible for the original design and construction of the Jiangsu lithium carbonate plant.
Lithium Universe is advancing a mine-to-battery-grade lithium carbonate strategy in Canada through the Québec Lithium Processing Hub (QLPH). The QLPH includes a multi-purpose independent 1 Mtpa concentrator and an independent 16,000 tpa battery-grade lithium carbonate refinery. The QLPH concentrator and lithium carbonate plant aim to replicate the proven success of the Mt Cattlin spodumene operation and Jiangsu lithium carbonate plant to minimize startup and operational risks.
Figure 2: The Company’s proposed lithium carbonate refinery at layout at Bécancour, Québec.
The company has successfully executed an option agreement to acquire a commercial property located within the Bécancour Waterfront Industrial Park (BWIP) between Québec City and Montréal. The industrial land secured is only 2.5 kms to the Bécancour deep-water port, allowing the import of spodumene to the facility. The company is taking a significant step towards the production of greener battery-grade lithium carbonate at the proposed Becancour lithium refinery.
Results of its preliminary feasibility study (PFS) for the Bécancour Lithium Carbonate Refinery. The PFS confirms the viability of a strong lithium conversion project, even within a below-average pricing environment. LU7 continues to progress full definitive feasibility study while offtake discussions with interested OEMs underway.
Financial Modelling:
- Economically viable with excellent pre-tax NPV8 percent of approximately US$779 million
- IRR (pre-tax) of approximately 23.5 percent and payback of 3.5 years based on;
- Price forecast of US$1,170/t SC6 and US$20,970/t for battery grade Li2CO3
- Current spot price is approx. US$775/t SC6 and US$10,680/t for battery grade LC
- Operating costs at around US$3,976/tonne; capital cost estimate of US$494 million
- Expected annual revenue of approx US$383 million and EBITDA of around US$147 million
- Project break even at around US$780 /t (SC6) and around US$14,000 per tonne LC
As an integral part of the company’s DFS, Lithium Universe has initiated metallurgical testing on various sources of spodumene. This process involves utilizing the flow sheet developed for the Québec Lithium Processing Hub refinery.
Currently, the testing is progressing smoothly, and no challenges have been identified with any of the spodumene samples. Each test program is thorough and spans several weeks, with two complete programs already concluded successfully achieving higher than the international battery grade specification of 99.5 percent lithium carbonate. All impurity levels were well within specification limits.
Management Team
Iggy Tan - Executive Chair
Iggy Tan, a trailblazer of the modern lithium industry, was one of the first Australian mining executives to identify the significant opportunity within the emerging lithium-ion battery sector when he spearheaded Galaxy Resources Limited. Tan is looking to replicate that success with Lithium Universe, having built Galaxy’s Mt Cattlin Spodumene Project and the downstream Jiangsu Lithium Carbonate project. He also acquired the James Bay Spodumene Project in Canada and the Sal de Vida Brine Project in Argentina for Galaxy.
When Tan started at Galaxy, the company’s market capitalization was less than AU$10 million. It rose to AU$2.5 billion when the company merged with Orocobre Limited in August 2021. Tan's previous experience working with lithium dates back to the early 1990s when he briefly managed the Greenbushes Lithium Mine and commissioned the first lithium carbonate plant for Gwalia Consolidated.
Tan has over 30 years of chemical and mining experience and has served as executive director for a number of ASX-listed companies. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern Cross, a Bachelor of Science from the University of Western Australia and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is currently CEO and managing director of Altech Batteries (ASX:ATC,FRA:A3Y)
Alex Hanly - Chief Executive Officer
Alex Hanly has over 10 years of experience in capital delivery and operational management for publicly listed companies within the mining, oil & gas, and manufacturing industries in Australia and Africa. Over the last three years, Hanly held the role of chief executive officer of ASX-listed gold company Polymetals Resources (ASX:POL). He was responsible for the successful IPO of the company, the operational management and the efficient execution of the fast-track strategy.
Hanly has a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and Master of Business Administration specialising in global project management.
Patrick Scallan - Non-executive Director
Patrick Scallan’s extensive experience in the lithium industry is a valuable addition to the LGX board. With over 25 years of management experience at the world-class Greenbushes Mine, he is a seasoned veteran. Greenbushes is the largest lithium hard rock mine globally and also hosts the highest-grade ore body in the world. This makes Greenbushes a unique anomaly, as no other lithium deposit worldwide compares to it.
Scallan oversaw the mine’s many expansions, increasing annual output from 200,000 in 1997 to 1.4 million tpa today, and navigated numerous ownership changes during his tenure. He is a specialist in hard rock mining and spodumene concentrating, with downstream relationships with major spodumene converters worldwide.
Scallan is also highly skilled in managing local community relationships, having acted as shire councillor for nearly 20 years during his time at Greenbushes, receiving his Order of Australia Medal for his community and local government contribution. His previous roles include management positions at Capel and Eneabba Mineral Sands in Western Australia and Western Deep Levels Gold Mine in South Africa.
Dr. Jingyuan Liu - Non-executive director
Dr Jingyuan Liu is widely regarded as a leading technical expert in the lithium industry. He previously held the position of general manager of development and technologies at Galaxy Resources, where he was responsible for overseeing the construction and commissioning of the Mt Cattlin Spodumene Project and the world-renowned Jiangsu Lithium Carbonate plant. Liu also played a key role in designing the flow sheet for the Sal de Vida brine project.
Following his work with Galaxy, he has acted as a special adviser to various lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide projects globally, including the Lithium Hydroxide Plant operated by Tianqi in Kwinana, Western Australia.
Liu has over 30 years’ experience in project management, process and equipment design for minerals processing and the chemicals, non-ferrous metals, iron & steel and energy industries, both in Australian and internationally. He was awarded a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Newcastle, Australia and has worked in senior chemical engineering roles with leading companies such as Hatch Engineering and Metso Minerals in Australia and Malaysia.
He is currently chief technology officer for Altech Batteries (ASX:ATC), developing high capacity silicon anode lithium-ion batteries.
Gernot Abl - Executive Director
Gernot Abl was previously a strategic managing director with vast experience in business management, operations and investment for some of the fastest growing industries in the world. After gaining over 15 years of corporate experience, he led the only pure esports play listed on the ASX, Esports Mogul Limited. Abl has a proven background in business management and commercial intuition, initially from working as a management consultant for both Deloitte Consulting and Deloitte Corporate Finance in Perth and Melbourne.
Abl also led the restructure and turnaround of a financially distressed ASX-listed media company and currently holds directorships for a range of start-up companies, offering corporate advisory, project management and commercial negotiation advice to multiple businesses. He has a degree in law and commerce with honours in finance and accounting from the University of Western Australia.
John Sobolewski - Chief Financial Officer
John Sobolewski’s experience in the lithium industry offers another valuable addition to the LU7 dream team. At Galaxy Resources, he played a pivotal role during the feasibility, funding, construction and operation phases of the Mt Cattlin Spodumene mine and Jiangsu Lithium Carbonate refinery. He was also crucial in establishing teams and systems in Australia and internationally. His experience in financial modelling and debt modelling for both projects will be critical in Lithium Universe, completing definitive feasibility studies of the Québec Lithium Processing Hub concentrator and lithium carbonate refinery projects.
Sobolewski is a chartered accountant and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. His previous roles include managing director and CEO with Mintrex, CFO and company secretary with Mintrex, Galaxy Resources Limited and Vital Metals Limited, financial controller and company secretary with Croesus Mining NL, and group accountant and company secretary with Titan Resources NL.
Vincent John Fayad - Joint Company Secretary
Vincent John Fayad is a chartered accountant with over 40 years of experience in corporate finance, international M&A, accounting and advisory-related services primarily undertaken by mid-tier accounting firm PKF. In 2016, he established his own firm, Vince Fayad & Associates, to provide accounting and advisory services within Australia and overseas.
Over the last 25 years, Fayad has spent a significant amount of time advising on various transactions, predominantly related to the mining and exploration industries and providing accounting and corporate secretarial experience to mining exploration companies.
Fayad is currently an executive director and joint company secretary of Astute Metals NL (ASX:ASE) and joint company secretary of Greenvale Energy (ASX:GRV). He is also a non-executive director of Nexon Asia Pacific, a telecommunications company, controlled by private equity group EQT.
Kurt Laney - Joint Company Secretary
Kurt Laney is an experienced chartered accountant specialising in the provision of advisory, consultancy, taxation and corporate secretarial services. Laney is currently an associate director of Vince Fayad and Associates, where he provides accounting and taxation services to high-net-worth individuals, family offices, large family-owned businesses and multinational entities.
Laney is also the joint company secretary and CFO of Greenvale Energy Ltd (ASX:GRV) and Astute Metals NL (ASX:ASE), along with several unlisted public companies primarily focused on the tech and mining industries. He has previously served as the company secretary of Polymetals Resources (ASX:POL).
Justin Rivers - Head of Geology
Justin Rivers possesses more than 20 years of senior executive, technical and commercial experience in Africa, Australia, Asia, Arctic, Middle East, North America and South America in the major and junior space, with a particular focus on Iron Ore and Gold. He has a well-tenured strategic and tactical approach to the mining industry with intimate commercial, business development and M&A experience in Tier-1, publicly listed and private equity environments.
Prior to joining Lithium Universe Limited, Rivers held the position of executive director and CEO of Mauritian domiciled private equity company Convertible Resources, driving strategic development of its gold projects in the Siguiri region of northeast Guinea. He has a Bachelor of Science (first class honours) majoring in geology and environmental science from the University of Tasmania.
Terry Stark - Head of Mining
Terry Stark was previously managing director - resources division for Galaxy Resources (ASX:GXY), where he was responsible for all of Galaxy’s mineral resources assets such as exploration and mine operations. Stark oversaw the Mt Cattlin construction and subsequent successful start-up. He also managed the Galaxy James Bay project and had a good relationship with the local Cree Nation.
A veteran mining engineer, Stark holds a Bachelor of Applied Science specialising in mining engineering.
John Loxton - Head of Lithium Carbonate Refinery
John Loxton's lithium experience commenced in 2010 with work on the Jiangsu Lithium Carbonate Plant EPCM for Galaxy Resources in China where his responsibilities initially were at a Sponsor level, and further into the project. He was the project manager for the final stages of construction and commissioning. In 2019, Loxton was engaged by Tianqi Lithium as head of projects for the execution of their investment in a lithium hydroxide processing plant in Kwinana, Western Australia. He managed the commissioning of the first train achieving the first product in 2021 and undertook execution planning and establishing a project team for an identical second train in 2022. Loxton is a project manager with over 45 years of experience across a diverse range of energy, industrial, process, civil, and major infrastructure projects.
Roger Pover — Head of Processing
Roger Pover was previously the Mt Cattlin plant manager for Galaxy Resources (ASX:GXY). He was part of the commissioning and start up team and operated the plant for many years. Pover also directed all optimisation modifications made at Mt Cattlin.
Pover is a veteran in the lithium industry, having commenced his career at Greenbushes Lithium mine in the early 90s. He has a 45-year career in the mining and chemical processing industries involving mineral sands, alumina refining, lithium, iron ore, tantalum minerals and tin production.
Huy Nguyen — Engineering Manager
Huy Nguyen has been seconded from Mintrex to act as Lithium Universe Limited’s engineering client representative. Mintrex was the lead engineering company that designed and constructed (together with DRA Global) the Mt Cattlin Spodumene Plant.
Nguyen was part of the construction supervision when Mt Cattlin was built, so he is experienced with not only the design but also the construction process that delivered a project on time and on budget.
Nguyen has a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Curtin University, Master of Business Administration and a member of Engineer Australia.
Victoria Vargas - Director, Lithium Universe Holdings (Canada)
Victoria Vargas brings to Lithium Universe (Holdings) more than 25 years of experience in the North American capital markets, with a significant focus on the Canadian mineral sector. She began her career at Kinross Gold Corporation and joined Alamos Gold in 2004. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in enhancing investor exposure and facilitating the company's transition from the TSX Venture to the TSX. Before joining Alamos Gold, Vargas worked for H2O Innovation, a Québec-based company focused on providing best-in-class technologies and services for the water and wastewater treatment industry.
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