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.

Recently, Chengxin Lithium Group Co., Ltd. (002240.SZ) disclosed on the investor interaction platform that pre-construction preparations for the Murong Lithium Mine, located in Yajiang County, Sichuan Province, had been largely completed, and large-scale construction is expected to begin soon. This progress marked the entry of this lithium industry giant into the substantive development stage of “the largest hard-rock single lithium deposit proven in Asia to date.” The value of the Murong Lithium Mine was first reflected in its remarkable resource endowment. According to data from the Sichuan Mineral Resources and Reserves Review Center, the mine had identified cumulative ore resources of about 61.095 million mt, with lithium oxide (Li₂O) resources as high as 989,600 mt and an average grade of 1.62%. This resource scale made it indisputably the largest hard-rock single lithium mine in Asia, and its grade also ranked among the highest in Sichuan. The mine is located in the well-known Jiajika lithium-beryllium ore district, which forms part of the Songpan-Ganzi-West Kunlun giant lithium metallogenic belt spanning Sichuan, Qinghai, and other provinces and regions, and is known as the “Asian Lithium Belt.” The entire Jiajika ore field had identified total lithium oxide resources exceeding 2 million mt, making it one of the most concentrated regions for hard-rock lithium resources in China and even globally. The Murong Lithium Mine was designed for a production scale of 3 million mt/year, and its mining license is valid until September 5, 2048, providing assurance for long-term and stable mining operations. According to the company’s latest disclosure, the Murong Lithium Mine project had obtained project approval from the Sichuan Provincial National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), as well as key approvals from departments including natural resources, ecology and environment, and emergency management covering land-use pre-examination, environmental impact assessment, and safety facilities design. Various pre-construction preparations had been largely completed. This means the project is expected to enter the stage of large-scale mine infrastructure and beneficiation plant construction soon. After the project is completed and put into operation, its annual raw ore processing capacity of 3 million mt will translate into considerable production of lithium concentrates, providing stable and high-quality raw material support for the company’s downstream lithium chemicals production sites in Deyang and Suining, Sichuan, as well as Indonesia.

[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/

The lithium mine Zijin Mining Group Co. plans to open this year in the Democratic Republic of Congo is set to be one of the world’s biggest suppliers of the battery metal.The Chinese company – which has grown at breakneck speed to become a top producer of copper and gold – has been developing the Manono lithium project in southeastern Congo since it secured the prized deposit in 2023.

[Sinomine Resource Group Engages with the Zimbabwean Government to Restart Its Lithium Export Business] Sinomine Resource Group confirmed that, after this African country recently suspended shipments of lithium concentrates, the company had been actively engaging with Zimbabwean government authorities to restart its lithium export business. The Chinese miner disclosed this development on Friday in response to an investor inquiry via the Shenzhen Stock Exchange’s official interactive platform. These talks came at a critical time for both Sinomine Resource Group and Zimbabwe. Lithium remained a sought-after mineral because of its essential role in producing batteries used in EVs and renewable energy storage systems. Zimbabwe, which holds substantial lithium reserves, had continued tightening its regulatory framework to ensure more value addition remained in China, rather than allowing the export of raw ore or materials that had undergone only preliminary processing. Sinomine Resource Group said in a statement that it was currently working closely with Zimbabwean government authorities on a new export approval application. The company stressed that the dialogue remained ongoing and formed part of its broader efforts to align with the country’s latest policies and compliance requirements. Although there was no clear timetable yet for when exports would resume, the engagement sent a positive signal that efforts were being made to resolve the issue. Source: https://www.chemanalyst.com/ [Vulcan Energy Achieves Drilling and Permitting Milestones at Its Geothermal Lithium Project in Germany] The company had officially broken ground at the Trappelberg drilling site in the Rohrbach area near Landau. This was Vulcan’s second drilling site after Schleidberg, where the company had completed the drilling and testing of its first geothermal well. Preparatory work at Trappelberg had begun to support the start of drilling in H2 2026. At present, a deep groundwater monitoring well had been completed to ensure the protection of near-surface aquifers during construction and drilling operations. Schleidberg and Trappelberg were 2 of the 5 new drilling sites that Vulcan would develop in the region. Thorsten Weimann, Chief Development Officer and Managing Director of Vulcan Energie Ressourcen GmbH, said: “The groundbreaking ceremony at Trappelberg marks an important step forward in the further development of our Lionheart project. With this new drilling site, we are further developing the geothermal reservoir and laying the foundation for climate-neutral heating in the region and sustainable lithium production in Europe.” Source: https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/ [Core Lithium’s Finniss Project Secures a Strategic Financing Package of AUD 290 million] The fundamentals of global battery demand were reshaping investment strategies in the critical minerals sector, placing Australia’s lithium industry at a critical turning point. The combined effects of supply chain diversification needs, advances in energy storage technology, and geopolitical factors have created an environment in which strategic positioning determines the long-term value creation potential of mining. In addition, the restart of Core Lithium's Finniss project, backed by A$290 million, demonstrates how well-developed critical minerals strategies can unlock previously stalled projects through innovative financing structures. Against this backdrop, complex financing structures and operational optimization approaches have become key differentiators for projects seeking to capture the evolving market dynamics of the current lithium investment cycle. The sophisticated financing structure underpinning the restart of Core Lithium's Finniss project shows that contemporary mining finance has evolved beyond traditional debt-and-equity models into a strategic consortium model that disperses risk while maximizing operational synergies. Moreover, this financing approach reflects a broader trend across the mining sector. Source: https://discoveryalert.com.au/ [Copper, Cobalt, and Lithium Mines: US Critical Minerals Growth] In early 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, together with senior US officials including Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, received representatives from 54 countries and the European Commission at the Critical Minerals Ministerial meeting. The US announced new bilateral frameworks, financing initiatives exceeding $30 billion, and launched the Forum for Resource and Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE), aimed at building secure, diversified, and resilient critical minerals supply chains. Initiatives such as the Orion-Glencore memorandum of understanding and "Project Vault" indicate the US government's commitment to incentivizing private-sector investment and ensuring a stable and reliable supply of cobalt, copper, and other strategic materials, including those from the DRC. Source: https://miningdigital.com/ [Atlantic Lithium's Ewoyaa Project Financing Secures a Strategic Investment of $16.4 million] The global critical minerals landscape is undergoing a fundamental transformation, and institutional capital allocation strategies have moved beyond traditional mining investment models. Pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and strategic investors now require more sophisticated financing structures to align long-term capital commitments with project de-risking milestones. This shift indicates the growing maturity of financing in the resources sector, which is moving away from speculative early-stage funding toward a more infrastructure-like investment approach that places greater emphasis on predictable returns rather than commodity price speculation. Contemporary lithium project development reflects this evolution, with financing solutions from diversified funding sources incorporating conditional capital structures, local ownership requirements, and ESG compliance frameworks. The combination of milestone-based warrant instruments, strategic partnership agreements, and domestic exchange listings has created an integrated financing ecosystem that balances capital efficiency with political and economic considerations. In addition, these innovations in the lithium industry are continuing to reshape the investment landscape. Source: https://discoveryalert.com.au/

The University of Tsukuba in Japan successfully developed a new-type magnesium-air solid-state battery, using a nitrogen-doped porous graphene cathode to solve the problem of chloride corrosion, providing a high-safety, low-cost technological pathway for flexible electronics and wearable devices. At the same time, the Record Ridge magnesium mine project in British Columbia, Canada, has triggered strong opposition from the local tourism community over plans to transport ore to China for processing, and has been halted by litigation, with a court hearing scheduled for March 10. The two developments respectively highlight magnesium’s cutting-edge applications in new energy technology and the real-world tensions in resource development.