Standard Lithium Ltd. (NYSE American: SLI) and Equinor, through their Smackover Lithium joint venture, announced that they have received over $1 billion in expressions of interest from major Export Credit Agencies (ECAs), including the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) and Export Finance Norway (Eksfin), for senior secured project debt to support Phase 1 construction of the South West Arkansas Project. The joint venture is pursuing up to $1.1 billion in limited recourse project financing, combining ECA-backed lending and guarantees with an uncovered commercial bank tranche.
Market sounding with global lenders delivered strong interest at indicative terms that exceeded the targeted debt amount and aligned with expectations on cost, tenor and structure. Management said the response underscores the Project’s strategic importance and technological de-risking as the JV advances toward a Final Investment Decision, while noting that all expressions of interest remain subject to due diligence, approvals and definitive documentation. The strong interest from ECAs highlights the perceived strategic value of domestic lithium production and the viability of the direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology being deployed.
The South West Arkansas Project is a greenfield development located in southern Arkansas, targeting the Smackover Formation, a world-class lithium brine resource. Standard Lithium is a leading near-commercial lithium development company focused on sustainable production in the United States. The company prioritizes projects with high-grade resources, robust infrastructure, skilled labor, and streamlined permitting. In partnership with Equinor, Standard Lithium is also advancing a promising lithium brine resource position in East Texas, including the Franklin Project, which boasts the highest known lithium brine grade in North America.
The expressions of interest from ECAs represent a significant milestone for the project, as they provide a pathway to secure the necessary debt financing for construction. The involvement of EXIM and Eksfin indicates strong governmental support for lithium projects that contribute to the domestic supply chain for electric vehicle batteries and energy storage. This development comes at a time when the U.S. government is actively seeking to reduce dependence on foreign lithium sources and bolster domestic critical mineral production.
Standard Lithium trades on both the TSX Venture Exchange and the NYSE American under the symbol “SLI”. For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.standardlithium.com. The full press release is available at https://ibn.fm/Tl1rh.
