Australia's Atlantic Lithium had to develop the Ewoyaa project—the country's first lithium mine—under revised concession terms linked to market prices. The approved 15-year lease introduced a sliding royalty scale for spodumene concentrate, set at 5% when prices are below $1,500/mt and 12% when they exceed $3,200/mt, replacing Ghana's previous fixed 10% rate. The new structure paved the way for the project following broader reforms to the lithium and gold royalty framework passed earlier this month. The approval formally backed plans for the mine and processing plant, enabling Atlantic Lithium to advance financing discussions and move toward a final investment decision. The project had stalled after lithium prices pulled back from their peak at the end of 2022, prompting the company to push for more flexible fiscal terms. According to the company, Ewoyaa is expected to produce 3.6 million mt of lithium ore concentrate over 12 years, making it Africa's third-largest lithium project under development. Atlantic Lithium said the project is the only US-aligned lithium mine development project on the continent, standing in sharp contrast to others backed by Chinese investment. Half of Ewoyaa's production has been committed to Elevra Lithium, the entity formed through the , which had previously signed offtake agreements with Tesla and LG Chem. Company executives said details of work completed in H2 2025 would be released soon to improve project economics amid continued lithium price fluctuations and help define the next phase of development.

[Australia’s Atlantic Lithium Secured Ghanaian Parliamentary Approval to Develop the Ewoyaa Project] Australia’s Atlantic Lithium secured approval from Ghana’s parliament to develop the Ewoyaa project—the country’s first lithium mine—under revised royalty terms linked to market prices. The approved 15-year lease introduced a sliding royalty scale for spodumene concentrates, set at 5% when prices are below $1,500/mt and 12% when they exceed $3,200/mt, replacing Ghana’s previous fixed 10% rate. The new structure followed broader reforms to the lithium and gold royalty framework passed earlier this month, paving the way for the project. The approval formally backed plans for the mine and processing plant, enabling Atlantic Lithium to advance financing discussions and move toward a final investment decision. The project had stalled after lithium prices pulled back from their peak at the end of 2022, prompting the company to push for more flexible fiscal terms. According to the company, Ewoyaa is expected to produce 3.6 million mt of lithium ore concentrates over 12 years, making it Africa’s third-largest lithium project under development. Atlantic Lithium said the project is the only lithium mine development project on the African continent aligned with the US, standing in sharp contrast to other projects backed by Chinese investment. Half of Ewoyaa’s production has been committed to Elevra Lithium, the merged entity of Piedmont Lithium and Sayona Mining, which had previously signed offtake agreements with Tesla and LG Chem. Company executives said details of the work completed in H2 2025 to improve project economics amid continued lithium price fluctuations and help define the next stage of development will be announced soon. Source: https://www.mining [Yahua Group Signed a Five-Year Spodumene Concentrates Procurement Agreement] Yahua Group announced on March 25 that it recently signed an Offtake and Sales Agreement with MGLIT EMPREENDIMENTOS LTDA (“MGLIT” or the “seller”), under which Yahua Group will purchase spodumene concentrates from MGLIT for five years after MGLIT achieves stable production of spodumene concentrates. In each contract year, the seller shall sell and deliver to Yahua Group no less than 120,000 dry metric tons of spodumene concentrates products. The signing of the agreement will provide multi-channel resource security for the company’s production of lithium chemical products. Source: https://www.cls.cn/telegraph [Atacama Salt Lake Expansion Will Drive Chile’s Lithium Production Growth in 2026] Chile is the world’s second-largest lithium producer after Australia. The country’s lithium metal production is expected to rise 10.1% in 2025 to 64,100 mt, mainly supported by higher production from SQM’s Atacama salt lake operations, driven by ongoing capacity expansion. Chile’s lithium production mainly consists of lithium carbonate sourced from brine in the Atacama salt lake in the Antofagasta Region. SQM and Albemarle are the country’s two major lithium producers, underscoring the high concentration of Chile’s lithium production landscape. Looking ahead, as capacity expansion continues to advance, supported by sustained growth in supply from the Atacama salt lake mine, the country’s lithium production is expected to increase by a further 4.9% in 2026 to 67,300 mt. Source: https://www.mining-technology.com/ [Exide Industries Announces Major Investment in Lithium-Ion Battery Cell Manufacturing] Strategic Investment Positioning in the Evolution of India’s Battery Manufacturing Industry Exide Industries’ investment in lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing marks a pivotal moment for India’s battery manufacturing ecosystem. Traditional energy storage enterprises must navigate between the mature lead-acid battery market and emerging opportunities in lithium-ion batteries. The transformation of this industry reflects broader changes in the global energy storage landscape, driven by the electrification trend. The electrification trend demands higher energy density, faster charging capability, and longer cycle life, performance metrics that traditional battery chemistries cannot meet. In addition, the systematic approach to capital deployment in India’s lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing sector reflects a mature investment pace aligned with production milestones and stages of market development. Recent industry developments indicate that established battery manufacturers are using multi-stage financing structures to maximize operational flexibility while minimizing execution risk as much as possible. Source: https://discoveryalert.com.au/

According to the latest release from the General Administration of Customs, SMM statistics showed that China’s total manganese ore imports in February 2026 were 2.3064 million mt, down 33.00% MoM and up 3.24% YoY. Cumulative imports in January-February were 5.749 million mt, up 46.29% YoY from the same period last year. February imports from Australia were 413,100 mt, down 31.35% MoM; South Africa 990,400 mt, down 49.55% MoM; Gabon 375,100 mt, up 13.01% MoM; Ghana 270,400 mt, up 1.78% MoM; Brazil 99,700 mt, down 17.87% MoM; and Myanmar 49,900 mt, up 14.8% MoM.

According to the latest release from the General Administration of Customs, SMM statistics showed that China’s total manganese ore imports were 3.4426 million mt in January 2026, up 5.14% MoM and up 102.98% YoY. January imports by origin were Australia (601,700 mt, up 3.93% MoM), South Africa (1.963 million mt, up 12.1% MoM), Gabon (331,900 mt, down 11.61% MoM), Ghana (265,700 mt, down 21.39% MoM), Brazil (121,400 mt, up 80.69% MoM), and Myanmar (43,500 mt, down 4.56% MoM).

Although Emirates Global Aluminium's core profit increased by 7% last year due to higher sales, the company suffered a major setback in Guinea—the local government revoked the bauxite concession of its subsidiary Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC), resulting in an impairment loss of up to $765 million. The UAE opposed this decision, and Emirates Global Aluminium's President Bin Kalban revealed that consultations with Guinean authorities are still ongoing. In response to the supply disruption, Emirates Global Aluminium quickly launched a diversified supply strategy, signing alternative bauxite supply agreements with countries such as Australia and Ghana, which can currently meet over 70% of its raw material needs.

Ghanaian President Mahama announced that Ghana plans to cease exporting unprocessed ore by 2030. The President stated that this move aims to support local processing enterprises, enabling them to lead the government's flagship industrial development and job creation initiatives. On February 13, 2026, President Mahama delivered a speech in Addis Ababa, emphasizing the importance of halting the export of unprocessed resources. He advocated for enhancing the capacity of local processing enterprises to increase production and strengthen the value chain. "I declare that by 2030, Ghana will no longer export any ore. We will no longer ship unprocessed ores such as manganese ore, bauxite, or iron ore out of Ghana. All these ores must be processed locally.