Talking Smack: Big Lithium’s Alex Grant Making Magnesium Great Again

Mar 10, 2026

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Alex Grant (Big Lithium) discusses direct lithium extraction (DLE), US lithium project financing, and the growing strategic importance of magnesium in Western supply chains.

Alex Interview on HyperChange: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2Aa1BD7a9s

Alex was an early advocate of DLE through his work with Lilac Solutions, Vulcan Energy and other advanced lithium projects. Howard Klein and Matt Fernley ask him where DLE stands today as projects in Arkansas, Argentina and Europe move closer to final investment decisions, and whether the next few years will prove the commercial case for unconventional brine resources.

We also examine the key issues shaping lithium markets and critical minerals policy:
How lithium price volatility affects project finance, why large companies still struggle to move projects forward, the role of China in setting global pricing, and whether Western governments will need to provide stronger industrial policy support for domestic lithium supply.

A major part of the conversation focuses on the shift in critical minerals narratives from decarbonization toward national security, defense manufacturing and AI infrastructure. Alex explains why he believes many large-scale lithium and processing projects are effectively becoming state-backed strategic assets rather than purely market-driven developments.

In the second half, we discuss Alex’s current venture, Magrathea, and why magnesium may be one of the most underappreciated critical materials in the Western industrial base. He outlines the company’s technology, funding history, Pentagon support, Arkansas joint venture plans, and the broader case for rebuilding domestic magnesium production in the US.

Topics covered include:
- DLE and lithium brine projects
- Arkansas Smackover lithium and bromine region
- Standard Lithium, Vulcan Energy and Rio Tinto
- Lithium pricing, CapEx and project finance
- Critical minerals policy under Trump
- China’s influence on lithium and magnesium markets
- US industrial policy and strategic materials
- Magnesium supply chain risks
- Magrathea’s commercialization strategy

This conversation is intended for investors, operators and policymakers following lithium, battery materials, critical minerals, energy security and US industrial strategy.

Chapters

(00:00) Alex Grant And DLE
(03:44) DLE's Make-Or-Break Phase
(09:15) Rising DLE Costs
(11:50) Financing Lithium Projects
(15:09) China's Pricing Power
(24:13) State-Backed Critical Minerals
(30:09) Defense And AI Narrative Shift
(39:54) Why Magnesium
(43:56) Magnesium And National Security
(48:53) Magrathea's Scale-Up Plan
(59:53) Saudi Arabia And Arkansas Support