It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Sunday, October 04, 2026
Chilean lithium project draws investors despite metal rout
CleanTech Lithium Plc is lining up a partner for its flagship Chilean project as it prepares for an Australian listing, with its CEO saying investor interest is building despite a sharp pullback in prices for the battery metal.
More than 20 companies signed agreements to review confidential material for the Laguna Verde project and London-listed CleanTech aims to select a partner this year or early 2027, Chief Executive Officer Ignacio Mehech said in a Tuesday interview. The firm also expects to complete a dual listing by year-end via an Australian public offering. Mehech plans to travel to Sydney next week to work on the process, with the amount to be raised still to be determined.
The interest suggests investors are willing to look beyond the current downturn in lithium prices. Chinese lithium-carbonate futures plunged in September, surrendering almost all of this year’s gains amid concerns over battery demand and inventories. Mehech said the selloff reflects investor sentiment in China rather than physical supply and demand.
“There’s no market fundamental behind it, and it should reverse in the short term because analysts continue to see a deficit in the coming years,” he said.
Laguna Verde is designed to produce 15,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate annually and, if all goes to plan, would be Chile’s first new lithium producer in more than three decades. Its operating contract is with Chile’s Comptroller General for final review.
Possible partners include miners, cathode producers, automakers, traders and investment funds, Mehech said. Any investment would be made at the project level and could include an agreement for future supply. He said interest is greater than a year ago, reflecting Laguna Verde’s progress and a scarcity of advanced projects globally.
CleanTech is listed on London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market and has a market value of £25.6 million ($33.8 million). The stock has risen 27% this year.
The firm also wants to establish a lithium-processing district in Chile’s Atacama region, with a planned conversion plant in Copiapo eventually handling material from its own projects and potentially third parties.
(By James Attwood)
Eramet plans $350 million lithium expansion in Argentina
La Bianca lithium project is in the north-west of Argentina, high up in the Andes. (Image courtesy of Eramet.)
Eramet (EPA: ERA) plans to invest about $350 million to expand its production of battery metal lithium in Argentina, the French mining group said on Thursday.
The expansion, subject to a final investment decision (FID), aims to add 11,000 metric tons of annual capacity of lithium carbonate equivalent, on top of current capacity of 24,000 tons, Eramet said.
Eramet plans to seek inclusion under Argentina’s RIGI investment scheme, it said in a statement issued after Chair and CEO Christel Bories met Argentine President Javier Milei in Paris.
The company did not give a timeline for the expansion. It had said in July that it was targeting the FID by the end of 2027.
Eramet’s Centenario facility, located in the so-called lithium triangle that also includes parts of Chile and Bolivia, started production in late 2024.
Eramet developed the facility with Tsingshan before buying out its Chinese partner in 2024.
Eramet has scaled back earlier plans for a second phase of its lithium operation as it tries to recover from poor financial results and mounting debt.
The group is planning a €500 million ($565 million) capital increase and sales of stakes in certain assets by the end of the year.
($1 = 0.8853 euros)
(Reporting by Gus Trompiz in Paris and Hugo Lhomedet in GdanskEditing by Milla Nissi-Prussak and David Goodman)
Brazil regulator orders partial halt at Sigma Lithium mine over ‘imminent risk’
Grota do Cirilo is said to be among the world’s largest and highest-grade hard rock lithium deposits. (Image courtesy of Sigma Lithium.)
Brazil’s mining regulator ANM has ordered Sigma Lithium (NASDAQ: SGML) to halt mining activities in part of its Grota do Cirilo mine, citing an unspecified “imminent risk,” according to a document seen by Reuters on Wednesday.
The agency ordered immediate corrective work to begin on the eastern slope of the mine’s north pit, where it said there was a “ruptured section.”
The area will remain under interdiction until the company completes the work on the eastern slope, ANM said.
ANM also demanded a number of measures to mitigate risks at the mine, adding that it “will take appropriate measures in the event of non-compliance.”
It is unclear how much the stoppage will affect Sigma’s mining activities, already impacted by the recent suspension of its environmental licenses and an interdiction on its waste piles.
Sigma did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Fabio Teixeira; Editing by Gabriel Araujo)
Laguna Verde. (Image: CleanTech Lithium.)
La Bianca lithium project is in the north-west of Argentina, high up in the Andes. (Image courtesy of Eramet.)
Grota do Cirilo is said to be among the world’s largest and highest-grade hard rock lithium deposits. (Image courtesy of Sigma Lithium.)
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