Tivan Ltd. has reached a milestone in the development of its Speewah fluorite project in Western Australia, with independent assessments confirming that the site can produce premium-quality acid-grade fluorspar product.
Following the distribution of product samples in late 2025, potential end-users in Asia have completed their technical evaluations. The feedback confirmed that the samples meet the stringent requirements for hydrofluoric acid production, a vital component in semiconductor manufacturing and other high-tech applications.
Specifically, the end-users highlighted that the product’s low levels of impurities, such as arsenic, phosphorus, and sulphides, make it an ideal candidate for high-purity industrial use cases.
“We are very pleased to have received positive feedback from top-tier customers in Asia,” said Tivan Executive Chairman Grant Wilson.
“This is a significant technical achievement by Tivan’s process engineering team and a key stepping stone for our project, confirming the suitability of potential acidspar production from Australia to strengthen some of the most vital supply chains in Asia.”
The project is currently being advanced through an incorporated joint venture involving Tivan, Sumitomo Corp., and the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC).
To build on this momentum, Tivan has commenced a mini-pilot program at ALS Metallurgy in Perth.
This phase will finalise process engineering and generate a larger batch of product to support ongoing marketing efforts and more extensive sample testing by Sumitomo Corporation.
This technical validation is a major step toward finalising the binding offtake agreement.
Tivan, Sumitomo, and the joint venture partners have already signed a term sheet covering up to 100 per cent of the mine’s life-of-project output, with 80 per cent secured under a take-or-pay arrangement. The parties are currently targeting the third quarter of 2026 to execute the full-form binding contract.
Once operational, the Speewah fluorite project is set to become Australia’s first mining and processing operation dedicated to producing acid-grade fluorspar.
