Elevra Lithium Announces Accelerated NAL Expansion

Core Viewpoint - Elevra Lithium Limited has refined its North American Lithium (NAL) mine expansion program, identifying a pathway to expedite production with lower unit operating costs [1][6]. Group 1: Expansion Plans - The company plans to increase spodumene concentrate production to 315,000 tonnes per annum (ktpa), with construction completion expected by the end of calendar year 2029 (CY29) [2]. - Recent efforts have focused on reducing permitting constraints, which were identified as a critical path in the expansion schedule [3]. - The proposed expansion will involve a series of debottlenecking steps, anticipated to bring forward incremental production by approximately two years compared to previous plans [4]. Group 2: Production and Cost Efficiency - The initial phase aims for a 15-20% increase in annual spodumene concentrate production starting mid-CY27, utilizing existing milling permits [7]. - A subsequent expansion will increase milling capacity to 6,500 tonnes per day (tpd), with production expected to reach 315 ktpa by early CY28 [7]. - The final step will replace existing crushing circuits with a new system designed to meet the production requirements, expected to be completed by early CY29 [7]. Group 3: Financial Metrics - The updated forecast for post-expansion C1 unit cash costs is US$630 per tonne, an increase from the previously reported US$562 [8]. - All-in sustaining costs (AISC) remain unchanged at US$680 per tonne, with a project net present value (NPV) of approximately US$950 million and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 26.4% [9].