The auction, which attracted more than 50 buyers from nine countries, was held on Metalshub, a metals, mining and recycling software platform founded in 2016.
The auctioned concentrate, which was to be shipped in 2026, secured a winning bid of US$1,254/dry metric ton (dmt) for an SC6.0 equivalent product.
“This is an excellent result and a clear validation of our strategy. We believe a transparent, tangible and verifiable digital auction would strengthen spodumene concentrate pricing,” said Tony Ottaviano, general manager and CEO of Liontown.
“(The) outcome shows that the market is improving and that buyers have the confidence to be competitive if given a fair and open platform.”
Located approximately 60 kilometers north of Leinster and 680 kilometers northeast of Perth, Kathleen Valley has an estimated 155 million tonnes of mineral resources containing 1.3 percent lithium oxide and 131 parts per million tantalum pentoxide.
According to Liontown websitework began in Kathleen Valley in 2017, following construction in 2022. First spodumene production took place in 2024.
The company also provided an update on Kathleen Valley in its publication September quarterly reportstating that the open pit mine is nearing completion and underground production is scaling up.
“We are entering the next phase at Kathleen Valley. As cleaner underground ore increasingly fuels the plant, recovery will improve and we remain on track to meet our target of 70 percent lithia recovery by the end of the third quarter of 2026.”
Liontown stated that it plans to hold additional online auctions on the Metalshub platform through 2026 and beyond. However, details about future business-as-usual auctions will not be released.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, have no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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