Interview with Kevin Smith, Non-Executive Director of Iris Metals Ltd.

Recording date: 15th May 2025

Iris Metals (ASX:IR1) presents a distinctive investment proposition in the lithium sector, focusing on speed-to-market in the United States through brownfield restart projects in South Dakota. Unlike many peers that require years of development and massive capital expenditure, Iris is advancing a permitted portfolio of hard rock spodumene assets with potential production by the end of 2026.

"This isn't your traditional dynamic of what you think of in a Western Australian style spodumene project where we're going to go drill for three or four years, build a huge resource, then raise a billion dollars off an FID and go build it," explains Kevin Smith, Non-Executive Director of Iris Metals. "We have a quick path to production by leveraging the operations that are already there."

The company's strategic advantages begin with location. In a US market that currently imports 100% of its lithium requirements, Iris controls previously producing mines that operated during the Cold War era. These assets are already licensed and permitted, potentially eliminating years of regulatory hurdles that typically delay new mining projects.

Iris employs a "hub and spoke" model centered around three primary project areas: Beecher (which already has a resource statement), Tin Mountain, and Edison. All three sites are currently being drilled, with updated resource estimates expected by fall 2025 to support a final investment decision.

The US political landscape creates additional tailwinds. Recent tariffs on lithium imports, even from traditional allies like Canada, provide market protection for domestic producers. Combined with production tax credits, these policies create a protected ecosystem for US lithium development.

From a technological standpoint, Iris avoids the risks associated with novel extraction methods by focusing on conventional hard rock mining – a proven approach widely used in established lithium producing regions. "We don't have to prove up a process flowsheet like the DLE guys," notes Smith. "We're going to use technology that's tried and proven in Western Australia and other places."

The company claims several advantages that could contribute to a competitive cost structure, including very low strip ratios (potentially as low as 1:1), existing infrastructure, and proximity to workforce and services. These factors lead Iris to believe it can operate in "the bottom quartile of the cost curve" globally.

Beyond mining, Iris has demonstrated the ability to produce battery-grade lithium compounds domestically through partnership with Indiana-based Reelement. Initial trials have reportedly produced 99.5% pure lithium carbonate – potentially enabling a complete US supply chain without sending material overseas for processing.

For investors, upcoming catalysts include results from ongoing drill programs, trial mining activities to verify cost parameters, detailed engineering studies, and a potential OTC listing to improve accessibility for North American investors. The timeline to potential production appears relatively short compared to many lithium development peers, potentially offering a faster path to cash flow in a strategic jurisdiction.

View Iris Metals' company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/iris-metals-limited

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