Iggy Tan Lines Up Lithium Dream Team for Apollo Project in James Bay

Sydney, June 22, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - After news that the trail blazer of the modern lithium industry has returned to the lithium sector, Iggy Tan, Chairman of Lithium Universe Limited, is revealing exactly how serious he is - by announcing a group of highly skilled lithium professionals who will join him in his exciting new venture. He fondly dubs this exceptional group the "Lithium Dream Team," drawing a striking comparison to the iconic USA 1992 Dream Team.

Among the members of the Lithium Dream Team is Mr. Patrick Scallan, an experienced lithium veteran who successfully managed the world-class Greenbushes Mine for over 25 years. Greenbushes still stands as the largest lithium hard rock mine globally, boasting the highest-grade orebody in the world. Alongside Mr. Scallan, the team comprises esteemed individuals such as Dr. Jingyuan Liu, Terry Stark, Roger Pover, and Huy Nguyen, who have held management and executive positions at Galaxy Resources Limited in the past.

Dr. Liu held the position of General Manager of Technology at Galaxy Resources, where he played a key role in the development of Jiangsu Lithium Carbonate Project. He is widely regarded as a leading international expert in lithium downstream processing, particularly in the areas of lithium carbonate and hydroxide plants. In fact, Dr. Liu's expertise in this field is considered unparalleled today. Tianqi Lithium Corp specifically enlisted Dr. Liu's assistance in resolving commissioning challenges at their Kwinana Lithium Hydroxide Plant in Western Australia.

As for Mr. Terry Stark, he served as the General Manager of Operations, overseeing both the Mt Cattlin and James Bay operations at Galaxy Resources. During his time at Galaxy, he established strong relationships with the Cree First Nation people for the James Bay project. The Cree is also the same First Nation group at the Apollo Lithium Project.

Mr. Roger Pover brings with him extensive experience from his tenure at the Greenbushes mine. Additionally, he served as the Plant Manager for the Mt Cattlin Operation. With his deep understanding of the mining industry and hands-on experience in plant management, Mr. Pover is a valuable addition to the Lithium Dream Team. Lastly, Mr. Huy Nguyen is involved with Mintrex, the company responsible for constructing the Mt Cattlin project for Galaxy Resources. Nguyen was involved in the design and then the construction supervision at Mt Cattlin.

Chairman Iggy Tan emphasized that his Lithium Dream Team possesses unparalleled knowledge and decades of experience in spodumene hard rock processing and lithium carbonate and hydroxide production.

Mr. Tan cited the immense potential of the Apollo Lithium Project in James Bay as one of the reasons he was enticed to return to the lithium industry. He stated that when he agreed to become the Chairman of Lithium Universe, he emphasized the need for the company to prioritize the swift development of profitable lithium projects, instead of solely concentrating on lithium exploration. He further stated that whilst there are many lithium explorers in the world today, only a handful have the necessary expertise and ability to effectively develop and construct viable lithium projects. He said that his new company now has a rich pedigree of lithium experience to ultimately establish a spodumene-producing mine in Quebec, Canada - as quickly as possible.

Interestingly, Mr. Tan noted that the lithium industry faces a significant challenge in the form of prolonged project development timelines. The process can take up to eight years, from initial resource discovery to the completion of feasibility studies, construction, and eventual product launch. However, the Lithium Dream Team has a proven track record of accelerating lithium projects. At Mt Cattlin, they took the project from its first maiden resource through funding and construction to its first product in just three years, setting a record. At Greenbushes, Scallan oversaw the expansion of Greenbushes from 200,000 TPA to 1.4 million TPA taking to be the largest and highest grade producing mine in the world.

With their extensive lithium knowledge and operational experience, Tan and his team are confident in their ability to ultimately replicate their success at Mt Cattlin at the Apollo Lithium Project. Mr. Tan's new company was to be named "Lithium Galaxy Limited" however following legal concerns expressed from Allkem Limited about the use of the name, he decided to rename the company Lithium Universe Limited (ASX:LU7).

Tan is also the Managing Director of ASX-listed battery company, Altech Batteries Limited (ASX:ATC).