They needed the deal with PLL to get the plant online, however...

They needed the deal with PLL to get the plant online, however yes $900 a metric tonne is about 1/3 of the going rate.

However, a profit is still a profit and whether it's a shitty deal or not the NPV of the resource is still just that.

Take into account the stranglehold that China, Brazil and Australia currently have on Li and their processed products (largely all but supplied by Chinas big refineries) and the US now have access to a product on their doorstep.

This is not intended to be a promotion of any other company and only being used to liken a similar situation (albeit perhaps comparing apples and oranges - given the ownership of the resource, the LOM, the capex that are vastly different to the other company).