Lifezone Metals Moves Kabanga Toward a Significant Equity Investment With Advanced Orion CMC Talks

Lifezone Metals confirmed on October 23, 2026, that negotiations with Orion Critical Mineral Consortium on a significant equity investment into the Kabanga Nickel Project are at an advanced stage. The consortium is a global investment platform launched by Orion Resource Partners in partnership with the US International Development Finance Corporation and Abu Dhabi's sovereign investor ADQ. Lifezone has been running a competitive process, led by Standard Chartered Bank, to secure a strategic investment in the project.

Company Overview 

Lifezone Metals (NYSE: LZM) focuses on cleaner, more responsible metals production and recycling through its proprietary Hydromet Technology, which the company says can offer lower energy consumption, lower emissions, and lower-cost metals production than traditional smelting. Its flagship Kabanga Nickel Project in Tanzania is being developed alongside this technology to unlock a new source of nickel, copper, and cobalt for global battery metals markets while supporting in-country beneficiation for Tanzania. Through a US-based recycling partnership, the company is also working towards applying the same technology to recover platinum, palladium, and rhodium from responsibly sourced spent automotive catalytic converters, supporting a circular economy for precious metals. 

Advanced Negotiations Target a Significant Equity Investment in Kabanga

Oskar Lewnowski, Founder and Group Chief Executive of Orion Resource Partners, commented on the Kabanga Nickel Project in a Bloomberg Television interview on October 23, 2026. Following inbound inquiries from media outlets and investors, Lifezone confirmed that negotiations with Orion Critical Mineral Consortium (Orion CMC) regarding a significant equity investment into the project are at an advanced stage.

Kabanga is located in Tanzania and is believed to be one of the world's largest, highest-grade, development-ready nickel sulfide deposits. A significant equity investment into the project would bring a new capital source to that asset.

Orion CMC Launched in Partnership With US Development Finance & ADQ

Orion CMC is a global investment platform launched by Orion Resource Partners in partnership with the US International Development Finance Corporation and ADQ, Abu Dhabi's sovereign investor. The counterparty in advanced talks with Lifezone therefore has a development finance corporation and a sovereign investor among its partners.

Competitive Process Led by Standard Chartered Targets a Strategic Investment

Lifezone has been running a competitive process led by Standard Chartered Bank to secure a strategic investment into the Kabanga Nickel Project, as previously announced. Both the Orion CMC negotiations and the Standard Chartered-led process concern investment into the Kabanga Nickel Project.