LG Energy Solution ($373220), which signed an 80,000-ton contract, aims for first production in Arkansas in 2029

LG Energy Solution has signed a long-term supply agreement with Smackover Lithium, a joint venture between Standard Lithium ($SLI) and Equinor ($EQNR), for 80,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate from a Arkansas project that has yet to begin commercial production. Deliveries of 8,000 tonnes per year are slated to run for 10 years starting in 2029, meaning actual supply depends on the project reaching production. Smackover Lithium targets nameplate capacity of 22,500 tonnes per year of battery-grade lithium carbonate in phase one of the project. The deal matters because it locks in U.S.-sourced lithium for LG Energy Solution's battery supply chain well ahead of first output, tying the Korean cell maker's feedstock plans to a pre-production asset. What to watch next is whether Smackover Lithium meets its 2029 start date and phase-one capacity target, and how Standard Lithium and Equinor fund and build the project.