Can you give us an introduction to your flagship Angel Island project and some of the latest news you’ve had coming out of here?
Angel Island is an advanced lithium project in Nevada, USA. Located adjacent to Albemarle’s Silver Peak mine, which, at present, is North America’s sole commercial lithium operation, Angel Island hosts a signifi cant mineral reserve of lithium in claystone. A positive feasibility study was completed on Angel Island and outlined a three-phase development plan to yield an average of 34,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of battery-grade lithium carbonate over a 40-year mine life. Once operational, Angel Island is expected to generate a low-cost lithium product due to our unique process and the deposit’s chemistry. It’s an efficient process in terms of resources with minimal impacts on the environment.
We’ve recently made significant progress through our optimization programme and identified areas in our development plan with the potential for lower estimated capital costs. By refining our process and improving efficiencies, we’re confident this will enhance the overall economics of Angel Island. Additionally, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Orica regarding the offtake of sodium hydroxide, a key by-product of our lithium extraction process and one that will potentially lead to low operating costs.
What makes Nevada an ideal jurisdiction for Century Lithium to be operating in?
Working in Nevada is an important advantage for Century Lithium. The state is known for its mining-friendly regulatory environment. This means there is an established permitting process geared toward bringing new mines and plants into production. Nevada in general offers access to a skilled workforce and has a growing focus on clean energy initiatives, which aligns well with our sustainable approach. Additionally, the state’s proximity to key industries, such as battery manufacturing, positions us well to contribute to the US lithium supply chain and meet the increasing demand for critical minerals.
Century Lithium is using some really interesting innovations in lithium extraction and processing in your demonstration plant. How does this compare to traditional methods?
At Century Lithium, we are advancing our patent-pending chlor-alkali process for lithium. This process combines so-called direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology with chloridebased leaching for the generation of battery-grade lithium carbonate onsite. Compared to other methods of lithium production, such as evaporation ponds or conversion of spodumene concentrates, our process produces lithium with reduced water use, chemical consumption, and environmental impact. However, the methods in our process are long-standing in industry, used in mining, milling, filtration, and water treatment. Within each area, we have achieved steps which in themselves are innovative. This makes the overall process unique in its application to lithium, with the ability to produce lithium carbonate directly for the US market.
With the new US administration, there is a significant focus now to grow domestic production of critical minerals. How do you expect this to impact Century Lithium moving forward?
The US administration’s focus on expanding domestic critical mineral production creates a tremendous opportunity for Century Lithium. We see strong potential for strategic partnerships, government collaboration, and access to new funding programmes aimed at fast-tracking projects like Angel Island. Our location in Nevada, combined with our sustainable extraction technologies, positions us as an ideal partner in efforts to strengthen the US lithium supply chain. We’re actively exploring ways to align with federal initiatives and industry partners to accelerate development and contribute meaningfully to national goals for critical mineral supply.
What are your thoughts on where the lithium markets will move next? With the drive for more critical minerals supply, do you think this will have an impact on the markets?
While lithium prices have been subject to extreme movement, the long-term fundamentals are still strong. There is a global push toward electrification and energy storage, for which the demand for battery-grade lithium is expected to grow over the next decade. We anticipate continued investment in new supply, but it comes with challenges. This is where we see the opportunity for Century Lithium and Angel Island where the location and other factors are favourable for development. Overall, we believe lithium pricing will increase and stabilize at a level that will support our project.
As to the impact on markets, we are already seeing the kind of price volatility in metals such as antimony, gallium, and some rare earths that we saw in lithium. China’s current dominance, particularly in processing, gives it control over the supply of critical minerals. The challenge is developing domestic processing facilities to Western environmental and operating standards. This will take time, but for Century Lithium, this is an exciting opportunity as we are well – positioned to benefit by offering a responsible, high-quality domestic source of lithium supply.
Finally, any upcoming plans that we should be on the lookout for in the coming months?
Our main priority for the coming months is to advance Angel Island through the permitting process and to finalize key project decisions that will drive detailed engineering and project execution. We are nearing completion of our baseline environmental studies, which will support our upcoming Plan of Operations. This is a major milestone for Angel Island as it advances the project to the next level in permitting and places Century Lithium in the best position for moving forward.
