Core Lithium has officially begun mining operations at its Finniss lithium project in the Northern Territory, marking a major step in the operation’s planned return to production.
Blasting and excavation works are now underway at the Grants open pit, with Finniss on track to re-enter the spodumene market in the December quarter of 2026.
Core said ore from Grants is expected to be processed during the September quarter, with the first shipment of spodumene concentrate targeted for the December quarter.
Core Lithium managing director Paul Brown said the milestone marked the start of Finniss returning to production.
“The commencement of mining at Grants marks the start of Finniss returning to production, with first ore expected to be processed in the September quarter and first shipment targeted for the December quarter,” Brown said.
“In less than three months since FID, we have secured funding, awarded key mining contracts and transitioned to active mining, demonstrating disciplined execution.
“Grants provides a low-risk, near-term ore source to underpin early production and cashflow, while BP33 continues to progress as the long-term foundation of the operation.
“Our focus remains on safe, reliable execution and delivering Finniss back into production on schedule and on budget.”
The restart is centred on Grants as an early production source, before the operation transitions to a longer-term production base supported by BP33.
Core previously said the optimised Grants mine plan would bring first ore within one month of mobilisation and reduce pre-production capital by $35 million to $45 million, with Grants initially mined as an open pit before later transitioning underground.
The revised Grants ore reserve stands at 1.53 million tonnes at 1.42 per cent lithium oxide, representing a 44 per cent increase in contained lithium.
The latest milestone follows several steps taken by Core to support the Finniss restart.
In January 2026, Core reported a 42 per cent lift in ore reserves at the Carlton deposit and said the termination of the Ganfeng offtake agreement left future spodumene production uncommitted, providing greater flexibility to pursue alternative offtake, funding or strategic partnership opportunities.
In May, the company struck a deal with strategic partner Glencore International AG to sell around 20,000 tonnes of lithium direct shipping ore, generating cash flow ahead of the planned restart.
Combined with a previous spodumene concentrate sale to Glencore, the transaction was expected to contribute about $18 million.
Core’s 100 per cent-owned Finniss project is located on the Cox Peninsula within the Bynoe Pegmatite Field, about 88km by sealed road from Darwin Port.
The company has positioned Finniss as a lower-cost, long-life lithium operation, with the restart program supporting a 20-year mine life and annual production capacity of 214,000 tonnes.