starting construction on the Demonstration Plant, the Company had conducted successful tests for eight months, producing high-quality battery-grade lithium spodumene concentrate above 6% Li2O at SGS’s laboratories in Canada.
This demonstration production has been an important part of the Company’s successful commercial strategy for its Battery Grade Sustainable Lithium Concentrate:
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In 2020 and 2021, the Company continued to ship bulk samples for customers in the EV supply chains and has received substantial commercial interest for its Battery Grade Sustainable Lithium Concentrate.
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In April 2019, lithium spodumene concentrate samples were validated by several large potential customers in the battery chemical and cathode industries, who confirmed their exceptional quality (battery grade above 6%) and very low impurities (specifically low levels of alkaline elements and iron, both well below 1%).
In October 2018, the Company announced the shipment of high-quality coarse lithium concentrate samples with an average grade of 6.27% Li2O and a size of 9.3mm to potential long term off-take partners in Asia for validation. The samples reflect the high quality of the Company’s spodumene concentrate, including low impurities, specifically low levels of alkaline elements (combined) at 0.76% in the form of sodium oxide plus potassium oxide and low levels of iron oxide at 0.79%.
For additional information with respect to the Project and the business of the Company, readers are referred to the Company’s then-current annual information form, annual MD&A and interim MD&A, if applicable, all of which are incorporated by reference herein, as well as the Updated Feasibility Study Report. See also “Risk Factors” in this Prospectus and the Company’s then-current annual information form, and the risk factors set forth in the then-current annual MD&A and interim MD&A, if applicable.
Summary of the Updated Feasibility Study Report
The AIF contains a summary of the technical report dated July 15, 2021, with an effective date of June 2, 2021, titled “Grota do Cirilo Lithium Project, Araçuaí and Itinga Regions, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Phase 2 (Barreiro) Update of the NI 43-101 Technical Report on Feasibility Study” and prepared by Guilherme Gomides Ferreira (MEng) MAIG, Marc-Antoine Laporte, P. Geo, Jacques Parent, P.Eng., Jarrett Quinn, P.Eng., Porifrio Cabaleiro Rodriguez, MEng., Pedro P. Veliz, P. Eng., and Jacqueline Wang, P.Eng. (the “Updated Feasibility Study Report”) and the detailed disclosure in the Updated Feasibility Study Report is incorporated by reference therein. The summary in the AIF does not purport to be a complete summary of the Project and is subject to all of the assumptions, qualifications and procedures set out in the Updated Feasibility Study Report and is qualified in its entirety with reference to the full text of the Updated Feasibility Study Report. Readers should read the summary in the AIF in conjunction with the Updated Feasibility Study Report which is available electronically under the profiles of the Company at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov.
If, after the date of this Prospectus, the Company is required by Section 4.2 of NI 43-101 to file a technical report to support scientific or technical information that relates to a mineral project on a property that is material to the Company, the Company will file such technical report in accordance with Section 4.2(5)(a)(i) of NI 43-101 as if the words “preliminary short form prospectus” refer to “shelf prospectus supplement”.
CONSOLIDATED CAPITALIZATION
As at June 30, 2021, there were 87,368,212 Common Shares issued and outstanding, as well as 50,000 options, 2,058,667 restricted share units and 532,860 Common Share purchase warrants of the Company outstanding which, if exercised, would result in the issuance of an additional 2,641,527 Common Shares. As at the date hereof, there are 87,368,212 Common Shares issued and outstanding, as well as 50,000 options, 8,797,667 restricted share units and 532,860 Common Share purchase warrants of the Company outstanding which, if exercised, would result in the issuance of an additional 9,380,527 Common Shares. Other than as noted above, there have not been any material changes in the share and loan capital of the Company since June 30, 2021.