Lifezone Metals Announces Q1 2026 Financial Results Summary
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260430675277/en/
During Q1, we received an initial
Also in April, we further strengthened our cash position by closing a registered direct offering that raised
Financial Summary:
|
For the three months ended |
||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
$ |
$ |
|||||
| Cash flow from: | ||||||
| Operating activities |
- |
1,244,923 |
- |
3,298,161 |
||
| Investing activities |
- |
6,185,226 |
- |
5,283,427 |
||
| Financing activities |
|
2,480,475 |
- |
162,593 |
||
| Net decrease in cash & cash equivalents |
- |
4,949,674 |
- |
8,744,181 |
||
| Liquidity : |
|
|
||||
| Cash balance |
15,271,893 |
20,144,250 |
||||
| Undrawn balance of senior secured bridge loan facility1 |
35,000,000 |
40,000,000 |
||||
| Total |
50,271,893 |
60,144,250 |
||||
|
1 A further |
||||||
-
Lifezone Metals reported a cash balance of$15.3 million as ofMarch 31, 2026 , compared to$20.1 million as ofDecember 31, 2025 . -
Cash usage from investing activities during Q1 2026 amounted to
$6.2 million , with$6.3 million invested in theKabanga Nickel Project . -
Revenue for Q1 2026 was
$1.2 million compared to$0.2 million during Q1 2025 driven by increased third-party technical and laboratory services atSimulus . -
As of
March 31, 2026 ,$25 million has been drawn from the senior secured bridge loan facility of which$5 million under the second utilization was received during Q1 2026. The remaining$16.7 million under the second utilization was received onApril 29, 2026 , with a further$18.3 million under the facility remaining undrawn. -
For Q1 2026, Lifezone reported an income before tax of
$2.4 million compared to$7.3 million in Q1 2025. - Income before tax for Q1 2026 includes significant non-cash fair value gains related to the remeasurement of certain financial instruments, while general and administrative expenses were comparable to the corresponding period in Q1 2025.
-
During the quarter, Lifezone recognized a fair value gain of
$1.9 million on embedded derivatives in convertible debentures,$2.9 million gain on warrant liabilities, and$3.9 million gain on the deferred consideration to BHP. These gains were largely attributable to a decline in Lifezone’s share price, which fell from$4.27 as ofDecember 31, 2025 , to$3.36 as ofMarch 31, 2026 , thereby reducing the fair value of these liabilities. -
On
April 23, 2026 , Lifezone closed a$25 million registered direct offering and issued 5.7 million ordinary shares at$4.40 per share. The net proceeds were$23.3 million and will be used for exploration activities inBurundi andTanzania , thePGM Recycling Project , conducting Hydromet research and development atSimulus Laboratory , and for other general corporate and working capital purposes, including financing costs.
Corporate highlights and key activities during the three months ended
Project Financing Update:
-
A further
$5 million was drawn under the Taurus Mining Finance senior secured bridge loan facility onMarch 16, 2026 , and as ofMarch 31, 2026 , a total of$25 million out of$60 million was received. Of the$35 million that remained undrawn as ofMarch 31, 2026 ,$16.7 million was received onApril 29, 2026 . This is to progressKabanga Project pre-FID activities, early works and development activities and to advance the project financing workstream. - Negotiations advanced constructively with the senior members of the Tanzanian government and administration to amend the Framework Agreement and agree on the details of the staging concept and the joint financial model, to define the sharing of fiscal benefits.
Figure 1:
-
The
U.S. DFC completed its due diligence with further funding workstreams progressing. -
Negotiations progressed for a potential strategic investment into the
Kabanga Nickel Project led by Standard Chartered Bank, with multiple offers received. - Project financing process led by Societe Generale continued, including roadshows and selection of pathfinders, such as international Development Finance Institutions and Export Credit Agencies.
- Site visits were conducted by potential lenders and lender advisors, and receipt of final reports by independent engineers and consultants covering technical, logistics, environmental, social, and commodity markets aspects of the Kabanga.
Figure 2: Lifezone hosted a technical and environmental and social due diligence site visit at the
- Several long-term concentrate off-take negotiations are well advanced.
- International and local insurance brokers were appointed, and the insurance risk assessment and insurance plan advanced to facilitate a global insurance roadshow in the coming weeks.
-
The Kabanga site hosted the Acting
U.S. Ambassador toTanzania ,Andrew Lentz and his delegation onMarch 31, 2026 , including the facilitation of meetings with theNgara District Commissioner, to review the project’s progress.
Figure 3: Acting
Technical and Operational Progress:
- Pre-FID site geotechnical investigations to support detailed design and early works topographical readiness advanced, including the completion of 163 test pits across the project footprint, completion of North and Tembo boxcuts and waste rock dumps boreholes.
- Commencement of potable water borehole drilling and continued geotechnical drilling, including the completing of all geotechnical holes for eight ventilation raises covering both North and Tembo mines, topographical/LiDAR surveys and progress on North boxcut surface works readiness.
Figure 4: Production water borehole drilling at Kabanga Site, 132m deep, providing a yield of 28,000
- The dual-train milling technical note was completed, and value engineering continued to support FEED and site and mining surface infrastructure development.
- Progress continued on the 220kV TANESCO overhead line and related permitting workstreams, including commencement of LiDAR and topographical survey activities, ongoing negotiation of the Implementation Agreement and Power Supply Agreements.
Figure 5: AGS leveling task through the 220Kv transmission line to determine the ground profile for angle point No.29 at Nyakanazi substation
-
Procurement and contract readiness advanced materially, with 52 critical path Expressions of Interest approved by the
Mining Commission and 45 released to market, for contracts valuing approximately$380m . -
Project execution readiness advanced through development of the Project Execution Plan and associated plans across five execution pillars, advancement of governance and cost management frameworks, continued scale-up of the Kabanga Owner’s team in critical pre-FID roles, internal approval of the Project Labor Plan and its submission to the Tanzanian Labor Commissioner, and completion of the Local
Skills Survey . -
In addition to the Special
Mining Licence , all material permits needed for current activities are in place, including the water use and abstraction permit; and progress is being made on all key permits required for early works activities. - Camp upgrades are advancing, including accommodation units, laydown areas, storage and camp buildings, maintenance areas, camp sewerage and water treatment plant development.
- In-country beneficiation activities to define a pathway for in-country downstream beneficiation and refining of Kabanga flotation concentrate continued, including the completion of the product marketing study, with the initiation of the techno-economic trade-off model framework and pre-feasibility study scoping.
-
Zero health, safety, environmental, or security incidents were reported, with +2.7 million hours worked without a lost time injury at Kabanga, with 230 employees and contractors directly engaged by
Kabanga Nickel Project as of the end ofMarch 2026 . - Resettlement Action Plan (RAP): 100% of the cash compensation payments were made by the company by end of 2025; 97% of Project Affected Households (PAHs) have signed their cash compensation agreements and received the monies, while the remainder was deposited into an escrow account for the benefit of the remaining PAHs.
-
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects with
Ngara District Council was signed, where the project will focus on key initiatives aimed at supporting the Ngara community covering initiatives in health (provision of sanitary pads to schools, blood donation drives, and training for community health workers); education (construction of modern sanitation facilities and supply of desks and tables to secondary schools); promotion of sports activities; and agricultural development through the distribution of avocado seedlings to encourage commercial farming.
Figure 6: The District Commissioner Hon. Mathias Kahabi and senior representatives from both
Figure 7:
- Additional key resettlement activities continued, including community stakeholder engagement; resettlement working group meetings; support with document verification for PAHs; the completion of a household wellbeing and livelihood survey, and resettlement site land planning enhancements.
- Official visit by the Regional Police Commander to assess the current security status of the project site.
- Continued environmental and social commitments in alignment with national and international standards, including monthly and quarterly monitoring; conducted additional biodiversity studies, including habitat assessment and alien plant surveys to further inform the project’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Figure 8:
-
An ISO-compliant Life Cycle Assessment for the
Kabanga Nickel Project was completed in the quarter, confirming a low climate change emission impact for the production of nickel concentrate, with a separate release planned for Q2 2026.
Exclusivity agreement with the Government of
-
On
March 10, 2026 ,Lifezone Metals entered into an exclusivity agreement with the Government ofBurundi regarding theMusongati Nickel Project , a large nickel laterite deposit located within the East AfricanNickel Belt . The agreement grants the Company a 14-month exclusivity period to evaluate the technical and economic potential of the Musongati deposit, including an initial scoping phase during which Lifezone will review existing geological data and develop a longer-term exploration and feasibility assessment program. -
Historical studies, including a 2011 resource estimate, indicate a resource of more than 140 million tons of nickel with an estimated nickel grade of 1.31% and potential by-products including copper, cobalt, platinum-group metals, and scandium. The project lies approximately 200 km, southwest of the
Kabanga Nickel Project inTanzania , and the agreement reflects Lifezone’s strategy to evaluate and potentially consolidate significant nickel resources within the Kabanga–Musongati alignment.
Figure 9: Official signing of an exclusivity agreement with the Government of
-
The quarter saw the culmination of the
PGM Recycling Project batch locked-cycle and pilot test campaign, involving one ton ofU.S. -sourced Autocat material, with Lifezone demonstrating the recovery of up to 99% platinum and palladium, and 95% rhodium, with ongoing engineering design and feasibility study nearing completion. -
Two distinct, non-duplicative
U.S. Department of Energy applications were submitted inJanuary 2026 byLifezone Recycling US, LLC that together advance a coherent federal strategy to strengthenU.S. critical-minerals production for Platinum Group Metals. The combined federal funding request totals$41.5 million , with a private cost share of$24 million , reflecting Lifezone’s commitment to co-invest alongside public funding.
-
Continued with pilot testwork and progressed on the engineering study for Lifezone Metals’
PGM Recycling Project , successfully producing high-purity platinum, palladium, and rhodium intermediates from spent Autocat material. -
Simulus Laboratories shifted focus to external revenue-generating third-party technical work, generating external sales of$ 1.2 million in the first quarter of 2026, a material increase over the same period in 2025.
Figure 10: Continuous precious metals refinery test work at Lifezone’s
Investor Webcast:
If you would like to sign up for
Social Media
About
Our
Through our US-based recycling partnership, we are working towards applying our Hydromet Technology to the recovery of platinum, palladium and rhodium from responsibly sourced spent automotive catalytic converters. Our process is expected to be cleaner and more efficient than conventional smelting and refining methods, supporting a circular economy for precious metals.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made herein are not historical facts but may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the “safe harbor” provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, amongst other things, the plans, strategies, intentions and prospects, both business and financial, of
Generally, statements that are not historical facts, including statements concerning possible or assumed future actions, business strategies, events or results of operations, and any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “predicts,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “seeks,” “plans,” “scheduled,” “possible,” “continue,” “potential,” “anticipates” or “intends” “or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology or expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters; provided that the absence of these does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future events, the estimated or anticipated future results of
These statements are based on the current expectations of Lifezone Metals’ management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on, by any investor as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of
The foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive. There may be additional risks that
These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Lifezone Metals’ assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements in this communication, which are based upon information available to us as of the date they are made and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the cautionary statements herein. In all cases where historical performance is presented, please note that past performance is not a credible indicator of future results.
Except as otherwise required by applicable law, we disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, data, or methods, future events, or other changes after the date of this communication.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260430675277/en/
Investor Relations
Chief Financial Officer
ingo.hofmaier@lifezonemetals.com
Source: