Li-FT Power Unlocks High-Grade Lithium Vein in Yellowknife Project

VANCOUVER, BC – January 15, 2026 – By Patrick Walker

Li-FT Power Ltd. (TSXV: LIFT) has announced a significant high-grade lithium discovery at its flagship Yellowknife Lithium Project (YLP) in the Northwest Territories, potentially bolstering the project's standing as one of Canada's largest undeveloped lithium resources. The highlight from its 2025 work program is a remarkable 26-meter drill intersection grading 1.56% lithium oxide (Li₂O) at the Shorty pegmatite, a result that energizes the company's resource delineation efforts.

This key intercept, derived from a groundwater monitoring well designated YLP-0295, confirms the presence of rich, near-surface mineralization within a project that already boasts a substantial maiden resource. The news arrives at a pivotal moment, as global lithium prices show signs of a robust recovery after a volatile 2025, renewing investor interest in high-potential, North American-based critical mineral projects.

Delineating a Canadian Lithium Giant

The latest results are part of a focused 3,171-meter, 18-hole drill program designed to refine and expand the understanding of the YLP's vast mineralized system. While the 26-meter intercept from YLP-0295 was the standout, another resource hole, YLP-0290, also returned a strong result of 1.24% Li₂O over 13 meters. These successes were concentrated at the Shorty pegmatite, a corridor of spodumene-bearing dykes stretching at least 1.4 kilometers in length.

However, the exploration results were mixed, underscoring the geological complexity of pegmatite deposits. Several other resource delineation holes drilled to test the Shorty corridor at various depths and along strike returned negligible lithium values. This variability is common in exploration, but the high-grade hits confirm the system's potential to host significant concentrations of lithium, with the company noting that spodumene is the predominant host mineral.

These findings build upon the project's solid foundation. In October 2024, Li-FT announced a maiden inferred resource for the YLP of 50.4 million tonnes grading 1.00% Li₂O. That initial estimate, based on nearly 50,000 meters of drilling, established the project as the third-largest hard-rock initial resource in Canada and one of the top ten in the Americas. The 2025 drilling program is a crucial next step, providing higher-confidence data needed for a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) anticipated in 2026, which will offer the first glimpse into the project's potential economics.

A Timely Discovery in a Rebounding Market

The significance of Li-FT's high-grade discovery is amplified by the current state of the global lithium market. After a significant price correction in 2025 that saw lithium carbonate prices fall from record highs, the market has staged a dramatic comeback in early 2026. The most-active contract on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange has surged over 160% from its recent lows, with analysts revising their price forecasts upward for the coming year.

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence projects that average lithium prices will remain historically strong, driven by relentless demand from the electric vehicle (EV) and battery energy storage system (BESS) sectors. With spodumene concentrate, the raw material produced from hard-rock deposits like Yellowknife, expected to be the dominant source of new supply, high-grade projects are particularly attractive. Higher grades can lead to lower operating costs and improved project economics, making a deposit more resilient to market volatility.

The global lithium market is forecast to enter a deficit as early as 2028, creating urgency to develop new, reliable sources of supply outside of traditional jurisdictions. Projects like the YLP in a stable, mining-friendly jurisdiction like Canada are therefore positioned to attract significant strategic interest from automakers and battery manufacturers looking to secure their long-term supply chains.

The Northern Advantage: Navigating NWT's Mining Frontier

Developing a major mining operation in Canada's remote north presents inherent logistical challenges, from harsh weather to infrastructure needs. However, the Yellowknife Lithium Project benefits from a unique set of advantages. Its location just outside the city of Yellowknife provides access to an established all-weather road network, existing power lines, and a skilled local workforce.

The project also emerges as the Northwest Territories' economy stands at a crossroads. With the region's diamond mines nearing the end of their lives, the NWT government is actively seeking to diversify its economic base and has thrown its support behind the development of critical minerals like lithium. This aligns with Canada's federal Critical Minerals Strategy, which aims to bolster domestic production and processing.

Demonstrating its commitment to navigating the region's rigorous regulatory environment, Li-FT has already committed $7 million to environmental baseline studies. This proactive investment is designed to gather the two years of data required before an environmental assessment can formally begin, a strategic move intended to de-risk the project and shorten the overall permitting timeline. This approach signals a serious, long-term commitment to bringing the project toward production in a responsible manner.

A Contrarian Strategy for Growth

Faced with the market downturn of 2025, Li-FT Power has adopted what could be described as a contrarian strategy, investing heavily in development and strategic expansion while others in the sector pulled back. In addition to advancing its flagship YLP, the company has recently moved to acquire other lithium assets, including Winsome Resources in Australia and a majority interest in the Galinée property in Quebec, signaling a clear ambition to build a diversified, multi-asset lithium company.

While the company's stock has experienced the volatility typical of an exploration-stage firm, these latest high-grade drill results provide a crucial data point for investors. They not only increase confidence in the geological model for the Shorty pegmatite but also reinforce the potential for the Yellowknife Lithium Project to become a cornerstone of North America's future lithium supply. As the company continues its work toward a PEA, the market will be watching closely to see how this exploration success translates into tangible economic value.