Stardust Power (NASDAQ:SDST) - Oklahoma Developer Targets 50,000-Ton Lithium Refinery

Interview with Roshan Pujari, Founder & CEO, Stardust Power

Recording date: 8th September 2025

Stardust Power is developing what could become one of America's largest lithium refineries, targeting a massive supply chain gap that represents both national security vulnerability and generational investment opportunity. The Oklahoma-based facility aims to produce 50,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate annually when the entire United States currently produces only 20,000 tons.

Founded by seasoned entrepreneur Roshan Pujari, who previously established boutique investment firm Vikasa Capital, Stardust identified processing as the critical bottleneck in lithium supply chains. "We really saw that the critical gap in the supply chain for lithium is processing capacity and that's when we founded Stardust Power to address that particular need," Pujari explained.

The company's strategic advantage lies in its aggregation model, sourcing feedstock from Argentina, America's Smackover formation, and Canadian lithium fields. This approach aligns with broader industry trends as oil giants Exxon and Chevron enter lithium production. "We also see the economic model moving more towards the oil and gas market where you have local production with central refining," Pujari noted.

Stardust has achieved critical development milestones that separate it from typical early-stage projects. The company secured major construction permits through a zero liquid discharge system and completed its FEL-3 engineering study with premier firm Primero USA. "We are already permitted to start major construction," Pujari stated.

The project's financial structure leverages proven technology to enable 75-80% debt financing, potentially reducing the $500 million Phase 1 construction to just $100-125 million in equity requirements. Oklahoma has analyzed up to $257 million in state incentives, while major trading houses have expressed interest in purchasing 80-100% of production capacity.

With minimal domestic competition and explosive demand growth, Stardust Power represents a rare opportunity to capture processing monopoly returns in America's critical mineral independence strategy.

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