Core Lithium announced on 8 September 2026 that the restarted Finniss processing plant in the Northern Territory has produced its first spodumene concentrate, marking a major step in the operation’s staged return to production.
Restart milestone reached
The first concentrate was produced within six months of Core approving the restart and in line with its September-quarter target. Mining recommenced at the Grants open pit in May, followed by crushing in August to build ore stockpiles for processing.
The plant remains in commissioning and optimisation as Core works towards reliable and sustained production. Current priorities include plant performance, throughput, recovery and operational reliability.
Plant upgrades completed
Targeted upgrades included screen refurbishment, improvements to the rolls crusher and tailings thickener circuits, changes to the ferrosilicon distribution system and consolidation of crushing and dense-media-separation operations into a single control room.
Core expects the changes to improve mineral liberation and recovery while increasing plant throughput capacity by approximately 20 per cent to 1.2 million tonnes a year.
Mining and shipping program
The Grants open pit is supplying near-term ore feed while development of the BP33 underground mine continues in parallel. Core said the logistics chain is operational and it is targeting the first shipment of newly produced spodumene concentrate during the December quarter of 2026.
The company’s focus is now on safe mining and processing at Grants, plant commissioning and optimisation, and continued underground development at BP33. The milestone moves Finniss into a ramp-up phase where operational, maintenance and technical capability will remain central, although Core did not announce additional vacancies.
Source: Core Lithium Limited, “First Spodumene Concentrate Produced at Finniss”, 8 September 2026.