The first digital spot sales auction for spodumene concentrate attracted more than 50 qualified buyers from nine countries.
Liontown conducted the auction on November 19, utilising the Metalshub secure digital marketplace.
Going under the virtual hammer was 10,000 wet metric tonnes of spodumene concentrate with a SC6.0 equivalent grading (high-purity lithium ore with around 6 per cent lithium content). The product was developed at the Liontown’s Kathleen Valley lithium project, which has been in production since mid-2024.
The winning bid, for the entire 10,000 tonnes, came down at $US1,254 per dry metric tonne, with shipment to take place in January 2026.
Liontown managing director and chief executive officer Tony Ottaviano said the auction result was “outstanding”, and provided a clear validation of the company’s commercialisation strategy.
“We believe a transparent, tangible and auditable digital auction would strengthen price discovery for spodumene concentrate,” he said. “Today’s outcome demonstrates the market is improving and buyers have the confidence to engage competitively when given a fair and open platform.”
Liontown has traditionally sold its lithium products through binding offtake agreements with select buyers and direct spot sales. But it believes future marketing should be through open and transparent sales, such as via a global auction online.
The company intends to hold further online auctions through the Metalshub platform as part of its ongoing operations from 2026, but says it won’t be releasing details of the outcomes.
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