Standard Lithium JV Secures Over $1 Billion in ECA Interest for Arkansas Project Financing

The Smackover Lithium joint venture between Standard Lithium Ltd. (NYSE American: SLI) and Equinor has reported receiving more than $1 billion in expressions of interest from major Export Credit Agencies for senior secured project debt to support Phase 1 construction of the South West Arkansas Project. The agencies involved include EXIM and Export Finance Norway, indicating strong international institutional interest in financing domestic critical mineral development.

The joint venture is pursuing up to $1.1 billion in limited recourse project financing, which would combine ECA-backed lending and guarantees with an uncovered commercial bank tranche. According to management, 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. This financing response underscores the project's strategic importance and technological de-risking as the joint venture advances toward a Final Investment Decision.

All expressions of interest remain subject to due diligence, approvals and definitive documentation, but the scale of institutional interest suggests growing confidence in the economic viability of lithium brine projects in the United States. The South West Arkansas Project represents a greenfield development located in southern Arkansas within the Smackover Formation, which is considered a world-class lithium brine asset. Standard Lithium's approach focuses on sustainable development through the application of a scalable and fully integrated Direct Lithium Extraction and purification process.

The company's website at https://www.standardlithium.com provides additional information about their portfolio of large, high-grade lithium-brine properties in the United States. The financing development comes as Standard Lithium actively advances a promising lithium brine resource position in East Texas, including what the company describes as the highest known lithium brine grade project in North America at the Franklin Project location.

For investors seeking additional information, the company maintains a newsroom at https://ibn.fm/SLI where updates relating to SLI are available. The full press release detailing the financing expressions of interest can be viewed at https://ibn.fm/Tl1rh. This financing milestone represents a significant step toward commercial-scale lithium production in the United States, which has become increasingly important as global demand for lithium continues to grow alongside the transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy storage solutions.