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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.

[SMM News] Premier, Canmax Extend Long Stop Date on Zulu Lithium Offtake Agreement to December 31

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.

[SMM News] Frontier Lithium Taps DRA Americas for Updated PAK Feasibility Study, Targets Q1 2027 Release

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.

[SMM News] Vulcan Energy Secures Second Production Licence for Lionheart Project in Germany

Lohum Cleantech has dispatched its first lithium ore shipment from Zimbabwe's Matabeleland South Province, starting production at the Indian company's first overseas mine and marking, by its own account, the first such extraction by an Indian producer abroad.
Lohum holds 10 spodumene blocks across roughly 1,100 hectares, estimated to contain 30-40 million tonnes of ore and yield about 300,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent over the mine's life. At current prices, the company values the in-situ resource at roughly US$7 billion, though it notes this is not a project valuation or return forecast. Ore will be processed initially in Zimbabwe, then refined into lithium carbonate in India. Lohum plans local processing capacity ahead of Zimbabwe's January 2027 concentrate export ban, and holds preferred rights over up to 90 adjacent blocks.
The entry adds new supply to Zimbabwe's spodumene base, already a key feedstock source amid steady global battery-demand growth. Lohum's upstream move mirrors a broader trend of overseas refiners securing African feedstock, while Zimbabwe's 2027 export ban will steer more of this supply toward in-country beneficiation rather than raw concentrate exports. Lohum operates across primary production, battery recycling, refining, and advanced materials. In 2022 it signed a US$200 million deal to supply Glencore with 10,000 tonnes of recycled battery specialty chemicals over five years.

[SMM News] Lohum dispatches first Zimbabwe lithium ore

SMM, September 11: HPQ Silicon's strategic partner Novacium, a French technology company, will collaborate with Tokai Cobex Savoie, a French subsidiary of Japan's Tokai Carbon Group, to develop an integrated anode material solution for lithium-ion batteries. Novacium specializes in silicon-based, high-capacity anode materials, while Tokai Cobex produces low-carbon synthetic graphite for batteries in Europe.
The two companies' R&D teams will evaluate combining their materials into a single composite anode designed and potentially produced in France, aimed at improving lithium-ion cell energy density. Silicon's theoretical capacity of about 4,200 mAh/g is more than ten times that of graphite, though its expansion during lithiation requires advanced engineering; Novacium's GEN3 and GEN4 materials have validated performance addressing this.
Novacium COO Jed Kraiem said the goal is to verify the silicon-based anode material can be combined with French battery-grade synthetic graphite for a sovereign, higher-performing solution. HPQ Silicon CEO Bernard Tourillon said the move addresses graphite based anodes approaching their capacity limits.
Anode chemistry improvements are relevant to lithium-ion battery supply chains alongside upstream lithium supply: higher-energy-density silicon-graphite composites can raise cell performance without a proportional rise in lithium carbonate or hydroxide input per unit of stored energy, a factor bearing on long-term lithium demand growth as cell makers balance efficiency gains against raw lithium sourcing needs.

[SMM News ] French tech subsidiaries to investigate graphite, silicon combination for lithium ion batteries

Chile, the world's second-largest lithium supplier, has unveiled a capital markets reform to boost early-stage mining exploration and attract foreign capital, per a government proposal. The bill, from President Jose Antonio Kast's administration, creates a dedicated investment framework for junior exploration and innovation firms, streamlining market access and cutting operating costs for early-stage lithium and mineral explorers.
Economy and Mining Minister Daniel Mas said integrating exploration into capital markets diversifies risk and draws investment funds seeking returns.
Eligible junior firms would access a simplified regime instead of listing on the national Securities Registry, operating under a designated sponsoring agent for compliance and disclosures. Incentives include capital gains tax exemptions on share sales and write offs for greenfield exploration costs.
Officials expect the framework to let private capital absorb early-stage geological risk and drive new mineral discoveries, including potential lithium finds.
Easier exploration funding could, over time, expand Chile's lithium resource base and support new project pipelines. Any output impact would take years to materialize, leaving near-term global lithium supply-demand balances, still led by Australia, China, and emerging African producers, unaffected for now.

[SMM News] Chile proposes market reform to boost junior mining exploration

The Future of Indonesia NPI and Asian Stainless Steel

Indonesia ESDM New HPM Formula & Nickel Market Updates

2025-2026 Global PV Market Review & Outlook: Navigating Geopolitics and Policy Shifts

SMM FREE WEBINAR: Sulfur Market: 2025 Review and 2026 Outlook

Impact of Iran Situation on Aluminum & Zinc Chains: A China-Based Market Outlook

SMM Africa Webinar: Strategic Sharing & Insights of Copper, Aluminium, New Energy, and Iron Ore Market

Lithium Is Moving Again — What It Really Means for BESS Costs and Procurement Strategy

Asia Copper and Aluminum Scrap 2025 Market Review and 2026 Outlook

SMM Aluminium Year-End Review: Indonesia 's Value Chain Acceleration - Tighter Quotas, Refinery Ramps & the Path to Aluminum Powerhouse Status

SMM Online Webinar: Nickel in Turmoil - Decoding Indonesia’s Policy Evolution & The Future of Global Supply

Category	Price Description	Change	Date
Raw Materials	Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate USD/tonne	-520.58	Sep 14
Raw Materials	Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide (Coarse Particles) USD/tonne	-506.98	Sep 14
Cathode material	China Lithium Ferrous Phosphate (Powder Compact Density 2.50g/cm³ min) USD/tonne	-124.45	Sep 14
Battery separator	China 9μm Wet-process Separator USD/m²	0	Sep 14
Electrolyte	China Lithium Hexafluorophosphate USD/tonne	+12.46	Sep 14
Electrolyte	China Electrolyte (for LFP Battery) USD/tonne	+2.96	Sep 14

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