Yibin Tianyi commissions a 20ktpy lithium hydroxide plant in first phase of 100 ktpy plan Yibin Tianyi Lithium—a joint venture of Canmax, CATL and Tianyuan Group established in 2018—has formally commissioned a 20ktpy lithium hydroxide plant in Yibin, Sichuan province. The company plans to construct 45ktpy of lithium hydroxide capacity in two phases and targets a total capacity of 100ktpy by 2025. The start-up of phase II construction occurred on the same day as commissioning of the phase I plant. The trial run of phase I started in July and the plant is running at 30tpd at present. Yibin Tianyi Lithium has a 5-year offtake agreement with Pilbara to take up to 75ktpy of spodumene concentrate, with an initial 60kt to be supplied in 2020. It also holds a 9% stake in AVZ, an Australian listed mining company which owns the Manono lithium project in DRC.