Outlook
AMG's lithium concentrate plant startup is proceeding well: We have reached a 90 ton per hour feed rate (95% of target); a metallurgical recovery rate of 90% of target; we are producing in-spec material; and, most importantly, latest estimates essentially confirm our target cost per ton. Our EPC contractor expects to achieve 100% of the target capacity by the end of May.
Though our Critical Materials business continues to experience strong demand for its products, it is experiencing very high price volatility, with spot prices for vanadium, chrome, silicon, tantalum and spodumene down significantly versus year-end 2018. To illustrate the unexpected dramatic fall in vanadium prices in recent weeks: the decline from year-end 2018 to the end of Q1 is 41%; and the additional decline to today is 23%. In light of this and similar weaknesses in other materials we have adjusted our EBITDA target to be $150 million.
AMG's confidence in the longer-term trends within its business units remains strong. As such, we are targeting $200 million of EBITDA in 2020.