Critical Minerals at Warp Speed: Where Cesium Fits In | Grid Metals

Nov 17, 2025

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In this episode of our "Getting to Know You" series, we sit down with Grid Metals' CEO Robin Dunbar and cesium market veteran Austin Devaney to explore one of the rarest and least understood critical minerals: cesium. Grid Metals (TSXV: GRDM) is advancing its newly financed cesium-lithium project in southeast Manitoba, alongside ongoing nickel-copper-PGM exploration in partnership with Teck Resources.

Chapters

(00:00) Intro
(03:13) Robin's Background
(03:57) Austin's Background
(05:32) How Cesium Is Mined
(07:48) Rarity of Cesium
(08:27) Cesium Demand & Uses
(10:40) Fast-Growing Applications
(11:50) Global Supply & Critical Status
(13:46) Evaluating Cesium Resources
(15:37) Cesium Pricing
(17:41) Grid Financing
(18:20) Falcon West Drill Plan
(19:10) Historic Results
(20:47) Project Infrastructure
(21:46) Supply Constraints
(23:15) Cesium in Solar Tech
(24:27) Exploration Potential
(25:44) Low CapEx Advantages
(27:41) Other Grid Projects
(29:09) Closing Remarks

As some of you may know, our channel was among the first to highlight the renewed interest in cesium following last year's discovery success at Power Metals' Case Lake project. Since then, the market narrative has been evolving - with fresh attention from PMET Resources and the newly announced critical mineral designation for cesium in both Canada and the United States.

In this interview, we speak with Robin about Grid's recent $4M financing, drill permits, and the upcoming program targeting high-grade pollucite at Falcon West - located just off the Trans-Canada Highway with proximity to the operating Tanco cesium processing plant. Austin brings decades of experience in the alkaline earth metals sector, including leadership of Albemarle's cesium business, and provides valuable insight into how cesium is mined, processed, priced, and used across drilling fluids, catalysts, x-ray systems, defense technologies, and emerging photovoltaic applications.

We also discuss the scarcity of global cesium resources, the structure of a market historically controlled by only a few producers, and what investors should look for when evaluating early-stage cesium opportunities. Robin provides updates on Grid's other assets, including its lithium resource in Manitoba and the Makwa nickel-copper-PGM project currently being drilled under a joint venture with Teck.