Strong construction progress and project completion status
Project is 77% complete with cumulative expenditure of A$1.043 billion; total construction costs sit just over A$1.0 billion. Major earthworks for salt wash plant, stockyard and non-process infrastructure completed and crystallizer seeding commenced. Marine package work at Port of Cape Preston West is ~94% complete.
Operational performance and pond metrics
Ponds ran at 96% utilization across >9,300 hours; brine levels and densities across ponds 1–9 are in line with operational targets and increasing as forecasted. Poseidon model indicates pond 9 expected to reach target density in February, keeping first salt-on-ship on track for the December 2026 quarter.
Financial strength and liquidity position
Available liquidity at end of quarter was A$601 million with A$351 million in uncommitted funds. Approximately A$400 million required to complete construction; management states the company remains fully funded to complete construction and meet ramp-up working capital needs.
Debt management and equity conversion
Eight drawdowns to date totaling A$446.8 million; A$99.8 million drawn during the quarter. Over 50 million new shares issued following conversion of a Series 1 convertible note which reduced borrowings by A$29.1 million.
SOP pilot and product diversification progress
KTMS trial crystallizers commissioned, achieving steady-state performance in line with expectations. SOP pilot pathway targeting ~140,000 tpa; batch plant testing completed enabling finalization of pilot plant scope and imminent design award.
Salt production scale and market positioning
Mardie positioned to ramp to ~5.35–5.5 Mtpa salt nameplate capacity. Port of Cape Preston West designed for ~20 Mtpa, leaving ~14.5 Mtpa surplus capacity and potential third-party revenue opportunities.
Digital systems and operational visibility
Deployment of Mardie operating system components including mine production reporting system, laboratory information management system and digital twin 'Poseidon' to enhance data-driven decisions and operational control.
Safety, environmental and community initiatives
Completed >400 Leadership in the Field interactions and 290 critical control verifications; 12-month rolling TRIFR of 3.9. Environmental monitoring (mangroves, turtles, shorebirds) ongoing and formalized a 2-year A$480,000 capacity building program with Wirrawandi Aboriginal Corporation.