Event - 2025 November Luncheon – Dale Henderson, PLS

Lithium, hiding just under hydrogen at the top left of the periodic table has many varied industrial uses, from ceramics and heat-resistant glass to lubricants and flux additives for iron. However far and away the largest application we are all most familiar with is for batteries to support intermittent renewable power generation and as the power source for electric vehicles. The parabolic growth in these markets over the past few decades have created a volatile market characterised by price spikes and subsequent production responses, contributing to a wild roller coaster of a ride for investors, mine developers, downstream processors and consumers alike.

PLS (formerly known as Pilbara Minerals) have played a significant hand in the development of these markets, responsible for around 8% of global lithium supply courtesy of their Pilgangoora operations around 140km SE of Port Hedland. Not content just being world class miners, PLS have leant in to innovative pricing and sales models to stabilise the market and maximise the value of their product, as well as adopting ambitious plans for innovation in downstream processing technologies.

Be in the room as MC Tim McMillan engages Dale in a fireside chat to learn about the current state of the lithium market with respect to electric vehicle take up, battery demand and what drove the recent uptick in Li pricing after more than a year on life support.

Will the price rebound to recent highs where we saw the lithium price spike to around 6 times current levels or are we in a consolidation phase where the current price is the new normal and what marketing initiatives are PLS adopting to optimise value?

How are PLS progressing with growth and development plans in the Pilbara and Brazil?

What stage of development are the South American brine operations and how might this impact the market?

Why has WA and Australia fallen so badly in the Fraser Institute rankings for global mining competitiveness – how do we reverse this trend and what are the key metrics causing this downturn?

What are PLS’s plans and expectations with respect to downstream processing initiatives?

What are the drivers in the geopolitical world of lithium with concentrated production out of China and what impacts will Trump’s tariff regime have on the market (this month….)?

And of course, in true Mining Club style, some insights into what it’s like to be leading a company that mines about 12% of the world market of a globally critical mineral and how did Mrs Henderson’s little boy Dale progress to becoming the industry titan that he is today !?

A few things you can be certain of: you’ll leave the lunch much the wiser about all of the above and much more and the atmosphere will be electric. Don’t just read the summary in the news the next day, come along and bear witness to the full enchilada. Members have been requesting Dale Henderson as a speaker for quite a while now, so you can be certain that tickets will sell fast for this one. Save the date, don’t cogitate, don’t wait, hesitate, or be late to the gate, don’t let missing out be your fate – and bring a mate! Ticket sales will close on the Thursday prior to the event.