- Frontier Lithium will advance its PAK lithium mine and planned chemicals conversion facility under a joint venture with Mitsubishi
- Mitsubishi acquired an initial 7.5 per cent interest in PAK for C$25 million, and can increase its stake to 25 per cent upon completion of an ongoing definitive feasibility study
- Frontier Lithium is a resource exploration and development company active in Northern Ontario
- Frontier Lithium stock has given back 65.15 per cent year-over-year, but has gained 142.11 per cent since 2019
Frontier Lithium (TSXV:FL) will advance its PAK lithium mine and planned chemicals conversion facility under a joint venture with Mitsubishi.
Mitsubishi acquired an initial 7.5 per cent interest in PAK for C$25 million, and can increase its stake to 25 per cent upon completion of an ongoing definitive feasibility study, while maintaining at least 75 per cent of future off-take. Frontier expects to finalize PAK’s definitive feasibility study in 2025.
Frontier will use the financing to break ground on what will be Ontario’s first fully integrated lithium mining and processing operation. The partners will jointly pursue further financing to develop PAK to production guided by a special committee with representatives from both companies.
First drilled by Frontier in 2013, the high-grade PAK project boasts a US$1.74 billion net present value, a probable mineral reserve of 4 MT averaging 1.79 per cent Li2O, and the highest-grade mineral resource in North America at 6.7 MT averaging 2.02 per cent Li2O measured and indicated and 2.7 MT averaging 2.29 per cent Li2O inferred.
The global conglomerate’s participation de-risks Frontier lithium stock for retail investors thanks to its extensive multi-asset expertise and existing world-class mineral resource portfolio, marking its first foray into upstream lithium production. That said, the investment should also be taken with a grain of salt because it represents a fraction of the more than 696 billion yen (approximately C$6 billion) in net income Mitsubishi generated over the first nine months of 2023.
“Today marks a significant milestone for Frontier Lithium as we progress towards our goal of becoming a key lithium supplier to the North American EV battery materials supply chain,” Trevor Walker, president and chief executive officer of Frontier Lithium, said in a statement. “Mitsubishi’s investment reflects confidence in Ontario’s jurisdiction, the quality and scale of our asset, and Frontier’s operational expertise. We are honoured to welcome Mitsubishi to the PAK lithium project and know we will benefit from their integrity, fairness and impressive track record in co-developing major projects around the world. A strong, strategic and steadfast partner allows us to develop our world-class asset and focus on the long-term value creation for shareholders, communities and all stakeholders.”
“PAK is an outstanding lithium project, and we recognize its strategic value in ensuring a secure supply of lithium to North American markets,” added Kota Ikenishi, general manager of Mitsubishi’s Battery Minerals Office. “We are excited to build a long-term relationship with Frontier and leverage our complementary skills and capabilities to deliver PAK into production.”
Frontier Lithium is a resource exploration and development company active in Northern Ontario. Its other assets include the Spark deposit, which is substantially larger than PAK, and the Bolt (600 m) and Pennock (1.5 km) pegmatites, which are on trend with established Frontier resources.
Frontier Lithium stock (TSXV:FL) last traded at C$0.92 per share. The stock has given back 65.15 per cent year-over-year, but has gained 142.11 per cent since 2019.
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