Pilbara Minerals and Calix announced the award of a $20 million grant under the Australian Government's Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) - Manufacturing Translation Stream, towards the development of the Mid-Stream Project at the Pilgangoora Project. The MMI grant represents a significant step forward in the progression of the Mid-Stream Project, which will be used as part of a proposed Joint Venture to be entered between the Parties to support the design, procurement, construction, and commissioning of the Mid-Stream Project Demonstration Plant (Demonstration Plant). Following execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in May 2021 between Pilbara Minerals and Calix, a scoping study (Scoping Study) has recently been completed by Lycopodium Minerals in conjunction with the Pilbara Minerals and Calix teams. The purpose of the Scoping Study was to assess the technical viability of developing a demonstration scale chemicals facility at the Pilgangoora Project to produce lithium salts from fines flotation spodumene concentrate produced at the Pilgangoora Project, thereby supporting a potential pathway towards future commercial production of "value-added" lithium products at the Pilgangoora Project and globally.

The lithium-ion battery supply market is rapidly evolving with large scale development occurring through all segments of the supply chain. Several prominent themes are shaping the industry including product cost (per lithia unit), product quality (purity), carbon energy reduction and waste management (particularly for the European market). The objective of the Mid-Stream Project is to deliver a superior "value-added" lithium raw material that outperforms across the key metrics of product cost, quality, carbon energy reduction and waste reduction/handling.

Works undertaken to date have explored alternative solutions to achieve these aims, including reviewing and testing alternate process paths, equipment selection and end-product types. The Scoping Study supported the technical viability of the Mid-Stream Project at a Scoping Study level to deploy an innovative calcination technology owned by Calix which is proposed to be integrated into a chemical concentration process at the Pilgangoora Project to produce a new end product, with the current focus being a lithium phosphate salt as a key "value-added" product for global distribution.