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 (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 (SWA 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 (FID), while noting that all expressions of interest remain subject to due diligence, approvals, and definitive documentation.
Standard Lithium is a near-commercial lithium development company focused on sustainable development of a portfolio of large, high-grade lithium-brine properties in the United States. The Company prioritizes projects characterized by high-grade resources, robust infrastructure, skilled labor, and streamlined permitting. Standard Lithium aims to achieve sustainable, commercial-scale lithium production via the application of a scalable and fully integrated direct lithium extraction (DLE) and purification process.
The Company’s flagship projects are in the Smackover Formation, a world-class lithium brine asset, focused in Arkansas and Texas. In partnership with global energy leader Equinor, Standard Lithium is advancing the SWA Project, a greenfield project located in southern Arkansas, and actively advancing a promising lithium brine resource position in East Texas, including the highest known lithium brine grade project in North America, the Franklin Project.
The strong interest from ECAs highlights the growing importance of domestic lithium production for the U.S. energy transition. The SWA Project is expected to contribute to the domestic supply chain for lithium, a critical mineral for electric vehicle batteries and energy storage. The involvement of ECAs like EXIM and Eksfin provides a layer of governmental support that can de-risk the project for commercial lenders and reduce financing costs.
Standard Lithium trades on both the TSX Venture Exchange (“TSXV”) and the NYSE American under the symbol “SLI”. More information can be found on the Company’s website at www.standardlithium.com.
