Early works and long‑lead procurement have started for Liontown Limited’s planned expansion of the Kathleen Valley Lithium Operation in Western Australia, ahead of a formal Final Investment Decision targeted for the end of Q1 FY2027. The programme covers critical items and packages whose fabrication and delivery times could otherwise delay ramp‑up of the underground mine and processing plant. Early commitment to these components signals a push to lock in key OEM capacity and manage schedule risk in a tight lithium project pipeline.

Metals Australia plans a C$2.05 billion high‑purity graphite refinery near Baie‑Comeau, Quebec, designed to process 75,000 tonnes per year of flake graphite concentrate into 51,000 tonnes of battery‑grade products over a 25‑year life, with a projected 25.6% internal rate of return and 227 permanent jobs. Feedstock will come from its Fermont project averaging 10.2% graphite, about 2.4 times higher grade than publicly reported for Nouveau Monde Graphite, and the site leverages rail‑ferry links plus a deep‑water port. The company will bypass a traditional PFS, moving directly to final feasibility while running parallel community and Indigenous engagement to meet Canada’s 2040 graphite mine and refinery targets.

Ur-Energy has begun in situ recovery uranium production from Mine Unit 1 at its Shirley Basin project in Wyoming, capturing uranium-bearing solution following completion of wellfield installation, processing circuits and permitting. The project has licensed annual wellfield and toll-processing capacity of up to 2.0 million lb U₃O₈ equivalent, with 9.1 million lb U₃O₈ in Measured and Indicated resources at an average 0.22% eU₃O₈ and an anticipated nine-year mine life across three shallow units. Uranium is loaded onto ion exchange resin on site and is expected to be trucked to the Lost Creek plant for final processing, drying and packaging from this summer, pending a further regulatory inspection.