Standard Lithium and Lanxess Finalize Plan for First Commercial Lithium Project in Arkansas

Standard Lithium Ltd. has reached an agreement with its strategic partner, LANXESS Corporation (“Lanxess”), that streamlines and expedites the plan for development of the first commercial lithium project in Arkansas, which is to be constructed at an operational Lanxess facility in El Dorado, Arkansas (the “Project”). Under the Agreement, Standard Lithium will control all development of the Project leading up to and including the completion of the Front End Engineering Design (“FEED”) study. Standard Lithium will hold, at a minimum, a 51% majority equity stake in the Project and may retain as much as 100% of the Project. The Company will also retain 100% ownership of its South West Arkansas Project, all its proprietary extraction technologies, relevant intellectual property and know-how.

Robert Mintak, CEO of Standard Lithium commented, “This agreement builds upon the successful working relationship that has been established between the companies. By entering into this Agreement, Standard Lithium takes ownership of the Project and its development timelines with a clear path towards delivering the first new commercial lithium production in the USA in over 50 years.1 We have already begun the process of engaging and integrating the strategic team members to make this project a success.  With the recent investment from our largest shareholder, Koch Strategic Platforms, we are fully funded to complete all planned Project milestones leading to a Definitive Feasibility Study, which is expected to be completed in Q4 2022”.

Key Highlights:

• Standard Lithium will form an initially wholly-owned company (“Project Company”) that owns 100% of the Project during pre-FEED and FEED engineering studies (see news release dated January 20th, 2022). The FEED engineering will be used to produce a NI43-101 Definitive Feasibility Study (“DFS”) in Q4 2022;
• Lanxess will, via a series of commercial agreements, provide the brine supply for the Project, the Project site lease, and rights of way, infrastructure, and other services for the Project;
• Standard Lithium will provide a market fee-based license to the Project Company of its suite of intellectual property;
• Standard Lithium is able to utilize its intellectual property, extraction technology and know-how at its 100% owned South West Arkansas Project, certain other sites in Arkansas and at all project sites outside of Arkansas, and will maintain control and ownership over the future development of its IP portfolio; and,
• Lanxess is obliged to support development of the Project and upon completion of a DFS, has the option to acquire an equity interest in the Project Company of up to 49% and not less than 30%, at a price equal to a ratable share of SLL’s aggregate investment in the Project Company.

If Lanxess acquires an ownership interest:

• The parties will share the costs of financing construction of the Project on a ratable basis; and,
• Lanxess will have the right to acquire some, or all of the lithium carbonate off-take produced at the commercial plant at market-based terms less a handling fee.

If Lanxess does not acquire an ownership interest:

• Standard Lithium will own 100% of the Project including customary dividends, distribution, or similar rights;
• Standard Lithium can elicit bids from other interested parties to buy up to 49% of the Project Company; and,
• Lanxess will have the right to acquire some, or all of the lithium carbonate off-take produced at the commercial plant at a price of market minus up to 20%, to be agreed by Lanxess and Standard Lithium and taking into consideration several key commercial agreements (including the costs of brine supply and disposal for the Project, the Project site lease cost and rights of way, infrastructure, and other services for the Project).

The parties have also agreed that development of the second and third projects on the Lanxess properties will be on a joint basis and that the parties will perform the same roles using similar contractual structures as the first Project. Lanxess will also have the right to purchase the lithium carbonate off-take from the additional projects upon market-based terms to be agreed by Lanxess and Standard Lithium, taking into consideration other commercial agreements required for their development (e.g. site leases, brine supply/disposal etc.).

For more information, please visit the company’s website.