Alkemy Capital Investments (LSE:ALK) told investors that Glencore (LSE:GLEN), one of the world's largest commodity traders, visited the Billingham site of its wholly owned subsidiary Tees Valley Lithium (TVL) on 23 September.
Glencore's team was hosted by TVL's chief commercial officer Gemma Cooper and chief operating officer Richard Rose, and toured the site where TVL is developing what it describes as the UK's first large-scale independent battery-grade lithium hydroxide refinery.
The session covered product specification, quality assurance and the qualification pathway, steps TVL frames as preparation for supply under its existing binding offtake agreement.
Glencore signed that binding offtake with TVL in January, covering up to 10,000 tonnes per year, alongside a separate non-binding heads of terms TVL struck with Canadian developer E3 Lithium in July covering up to 50,000 tonnes over an initial 10-year term.
TVL is building the Billingham refinery at a targeted cost of £185m, aiming for 25,000 tonnes per year of battery-grade lithium hydroxide, enough to support production of 550,000 electric vehicles, using Veolia's process technology.
The project received an Offer in Principle for up to £18.3m in UK Government DRIVE35 grant funding for its Phase 1 scope earlier this month, still subject to final approvals and due diligence.
"Refining is where supply security is decided, and we're developing that capability right here on Teesside with partners of Glencore's calibre alongside us," said TVL chief executive Vikki Jeckell.