Interview with Blake Hylands, CEO of Lithium Ionic Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/opportunity-in-volatility-lithium-projects-poised-for-rebound-5610

Recording date: 15th October 2025

Lithium Ionic has significantly strengthened the economics of its Bandeira lithium project in Brazil, delivering a rare improvement in feasibility study updates. The company's latest Definitive Feasibility Study reveals exceptional metrics: a post-tax internal rate of return exceeding 60%, net present value of $1.5 billion, and a two-year payback period over a 19-year mine life. Most notably, capital costs decreased by $70 million to $190 million, positioning Bandeira among the lowest-cost lithium developments globally.

The capital reduction resulted from strategic partnerships and engineering optimization rather than project compromise. Lithium Ionic partnered with R-TEK Resources, the engineering team that successfully constructed the adjacent Sigma Lithium operation, bringing proven DMS plant design expertise. This collaboration enabled equipment standardization, simplified mine sequencing, and refined facility design while maintaining project robustness.

Located in Minas Gerais' Araçuaí pegmatite belt, the Bandeira project benefits from exceptional geological validation. The deposit sits just 500 meters from the CBL operation, which has produced lithium for 30 years, with near-identical structural and geochemical characteristics. Through targeted drilling completed in late 2024, Lithium Ionic expanded measured and indicated resources from 21 million to 27.5 million tons, converting 21 million tons to proven and probable reserves at a 77% rate.

The project's lowest-quartile cost profile provides resilience against lithium's recent price volatility, which has seen spodumene swing from $8,000 to $650 per ton. Management targets early 2026 for permit approval and end-of-2027 production, timing that could coincide with tightening supply-demand dynamics as sustained low prices curtail new supply development.

With sub-$200 million capital requirements generating $1.5 billion in value, conservative operating assumptions, and a proven development team, Lithium Ionic presents a compelling proposition for project financing as battery demand continues expanding across electric vehicles, grid storage, and AI infrastructure applications.

Learn more: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/lithium-ionic-corp

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