Decisions, framed against evidence

Compare Brazil and Argentina flake deposits against logistics cost and qualification timeline before committing initial offtake volume.

Determine whether to begin permitting for an Imperial Valley site before feedstock contracts are finalized.

Evaluated and deprioritized for the initial phase; revisit if natural flake qualification stalls.

Environmental review scope approved for the candidate Imperial Valley processing site, pending final budget sign-off.

Geothermal power offset study completed and adopted into the domestic processing scenario.

Scope a feasibility study on Mozambique flake sourcing given security and logistics considerations.

Assess Madagascar deposits as a tertiary diversification option alongside Brazil and Argentina.

Sri Lanka vein deposits deprioritized given limited achievable volume relative to flake sources.

Monitor Tanzania rail expansion progress before committing to sourcing volume from that region.

Set a maximum share of total feedstock volume sourced from Brazil to manage concentration risk.

Evaluate a Gulf Coast processing site as an alternative to the Imperial Valley candidate.

Submit an application under the Canadian critical-minerals incentive program for the Ontario candidate site.

Assess capital and currency implications of processing closer to the Brazilian source deposits.

Commission a third-party audit of non-domestic purification facilities to validate capacity claims.

Approve a pilot-scale domestic purification line at the Imperial Valley site.

Begin qualification of a second non-domestic spheronization facility to reduce single-facility dependency.

Formally extend the Cell Maker A anode qualification timeline to reflect observed schedule slippage.

Determine whether Cell Maker B can accommodate a new qualification cycle given capacity constraints.

Assess the independent anode producer as a hedge against primary cell-maker qualification delays.

Negotiate a throughput commitment at Port of Santos to reduce congestion exposure.

Assess whether infrastructure upgrades at Port of Beira would materially reduce logistics risk.

Confirm sufficient rail capacity is contractually available for peak-year program volumes.

Review shared-capacity scheduling terms on the Vitória-Minas railway.

Contract bonded warehouse capacity at Long Beach ahead of first import volumes.

Finalize feedstock warehouse siting relative to the confirmed processing-site layout.

European transshipment routing deprioritized given added cost and transit time versus direct shipment.

Formally initiate the grid interconnection study required before processing-site construction.

Assess the land use approval path for the candidate solar array supplementing site power.

Confirm Parcel A as the preferred processing-site location following resolved title review.

Retain Parcel B as a backup site pending rail access resolution.

Escalate water allocation negotiation given its status as a binding constraint on site development.

Engage California DTSC in pre-application consultation to reduce permitting timeline risk.

Monitor Imperial County zoning approval status ahead of construction scheduling.

Scope the federal wetlands review process tied to water infrastructure development.

Commission a study confirming processing-site emissions can meet air basin requirements.

Review Colorado River Delta habitat considerations relevant to water infrastructure siting.

Scope qualification requirements for the candidate European battery consortium customer.

Assess realistic offtake volume from the grid storage integrator customer segment.

Identify a second sulfuric acid supplier to reduce single-supplier dependency.

Evaluate locking petroleum coke feedstock pricing given recent volatility.

Submit a formal application for the Department of Energy loan guarantee program.

Negotiate prepayment facility terms tied to committed offtake volume.

Confirm program eligibility under the critical minerals production tax credit.

Monitor Mozambique's regulatory and export policy developments relevant to sourcing risk.

Monitor Madagascar's export policy stability relevant to tertiary sourcing plans.

Decide whether new industrial water demand will require reallocation, efficiency gains, or a new supply source before any site is finalized.

Define the scope of a pilot program to test commercial-scale direct lithium extraction ahead of a full siting commitment.

Preliminary survey of undeveloped industrial parcels approved to support future siting scenarios.

Determine the scope and cost of a transmission backbone upgrade before committing to semiconductor or battery-materials siting, since power generation alone will not resolve the constraint.