# Concept Study Identifies Potential Refining Pathway at Shaakichiuwaanaan to Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate *2026-06-14T17:00:00-04:00* Concept Study Identifies Potential Refining Pathway at Shaakichiuwaanaan to Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate Concept Study Identifies Potential Refining Pathway at Shaakichiuwaanaan to Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate PR Newswire **_Study highlights potential to produce a value-added lithium chemical at site, offering further opportunities to reduce logistics intensity over time and aligning with Canada's and Québec's objectives for domestic processing of critical minerals_** MONTREAL, June 14, 2026/PRNewswire/ – June 15, 2026 – Sydney, Australia Highlights - Concept study completed evaluating future potential to process spodumene concentrate into a value-added lithium product,**directly at the Shaakichiuwaanaan site**. - Following a structured review of seven processing flowsheet options to produce a "value added" lithium product, the study identified Primero's (NRW Holdings (ASX: NWH) subsidiary "Primero") proprietary**ALi® atmospheric leach process****as the preferred value-added pathway for further study, given:** - its**overall economic potential, strong logistics efficiency benefits**and technical risk profile, and - its alignment with the Company's sustainability objectives through**practicing environmental care in processing and minimizing the Project's environmental footprint.** - **Bench scale testwork on Shaakichiuwaanaan spodumene concentrate samples has been undertaken by Primero in Perth - Western Australia using the ALi® process, **producing a **99.8% Li****₂****CO****₃****battery-grade lithium carbonate**. - If combined with the **use of electric calcination through Québec's low-cost renewable energy**, on-site value-added processing has future potential to reduce carbon intensity and improve efficiencies within the battery materials supply chain. - Supports **the Québec and Canada's objectives for domestic, value-added processing**, consistent with their respective Critical Minerals Strategies**.** - The On-Site Refining Strategy is a **staged, longer term, growth opportunity and is not required**for the current proposed development of the base spodumene concentrate project outlined in the 2025 Feasibility Study. - **Next steps - future work expected to determine how to capture further economic benefits of value-added products at site **including potential introduction of electrical calcination technology to leverage the full potential of Québec's renewable and low-cost hydroelectric power. Frederic Mercier-Langevin, Chief Operations/Development Officer for the Company comments_:__"Shaakichiuwaanaan is already a Tier-1 asset under our 2025 Feasibility Study, and this concept study potentially identifies a credible pathway to capture additional value on top of it. Converting spodumene concentrate to a "value added" and potentially battery-grade lithium chemical on-site could deliver a lower-cost, lower-carbon flowsheet powered by Québec hydroelectricity._ _"Bench scale results on Shaakichiuwaanaan concentrates indicate battery-grade purity is potentially achievable and the logistics savings could be material. Importantly, subject to further test work and demonstration at scale being undertaken, this could be a staged value-add opportunity for Shaakichiuwaanaan for future development beyond the base spodumene project. Further study work now underway will continue to test and determine the path forward," _added Mr. Mercier-Langevin. Ken Brinsden, President, CEO & Managing Director comments_: "For decades the industry has mined hard-rock lithium in one place and refined it in another, often overseas, which is hardly the most efficient supply chain solution. The work we're reporting today points to the potential for a redefinition of the supply chain. It could be a credible alternate pathway, demonstrated at bench scale with our spodumene concentrates, to refine battery-grade lithium at the mine gate in a stable Western, low-carbon supply chain. This is the kind of industry step-change, supported by Shaakichiuwaanaan's premier geology, that drew me to this Project." _ PMET Resources Inc. (the "Company" or "PMET") (TSX: PMET) (ASX: PMT) (OTCQX: PMETF) (FSE: R9GA) is pleased to report on initiatives to develop value-added lithium chemical products at its 100%-owned Shaakichiuwaanaan Project (the "Project"), located in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec, Canada. The Project's 2025 Feasibility Study base case has already demonstrated the resource scale and grade that contributes to the low-cost of a spodumene concentrate produced at Shaakichiuwaanaan.1The Project also benefits from being adjacent to some of the lowest-cost renewable hydroelectric power in North America. With these strategic advantages as a backdrop, the Company is progressing the Project's further assessment and development progress of its CV5 lithium-only project, with final mine authoriz