CleanTech Lithium shares jumped on Thursday after the company announced a significant milestone by successfully producing its first batch of pilot-scale lithium carbonate at a facility in Chicago, USA.
The Chilean-focused exploration company is developing Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology designed to produce environmentally friendly lithium.
The company has successfully processed its first tank of concentrated lithium solution, producing 50kg of lithium carbonate on November 19th, with expectations to yield approximately 150kg of battery-grade product from the complete tank within a week. This initial production represents just the first phase of processing, with a total of 88 cubic meters of concentrated solution shipped from the company’s Chilean pilot plant to Conductive Energy’s facilities in Chicago.
CleanTech Lithium has already initiated discussions with potential strategic partners interested in testing the product. Following laboratory analysis to confirm the grade and impurity profile, the company plans to distribute samples ranging from several to tens of kilograms to begin the product qualification process.
The milestone was celebrated with a site visit to what is currently the largest pilot plant operating in the northeastern United States.
“CleanTech Lithium has reached an important milestone by commencing pilot scale lithium carbonate production using a sustainable and innovative DLE based process,” said Steve Kesler, Executive Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer, CleanTech Lithium PLC.
“As a leader in the DLE sector in Chile with a focus on efficiency and sustainability, this accomplishment marks a significant step forward. Years of hard work have led to this important milestone, and it sets the stage for future development with a commitment to supporting the transition to electric vehicles and clean energy. Thank you to the partners involved and we look forward to enter the next phase of development.”