CleanTech Lithium has announced the completion of the first stage of production at its Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) pilot plant in Copiapó, Chile, reporting impressive recovery rates and high-grade lithium production.
The DLE pilot plant operated for 384 hours, completing 14 cycles and producing 88 cubic metres of concentrated eluate. This volume is equivalent to approximately one tonne of lithium carbonate. The DLE adsorbent achieved a lithium recovery rate of 95% from the brine, with a total recovery (including adsorption and desorption) of 88%.
Notably, the process demonstrated high impurity rejection rates, resulting in a low-impurity eluate suitable for downstream conversion. The concentrated eluate is being shipped to Conductive Energy in Chicago, USA, for conversion into battery-grade lithium carbonate.
Preliminary test work on a 200-litre sample of the eluate has yielded promising results. Multiple samples of lithium carbonate with 99.75% purity were produced, confirming the process’s efficiency and repeatability in achieving battery-grade lithium.
The news is a major boost CleanTech Lithium’s Laguna Verde project and investors who will be pleased to see the pilot project open the doors to the next stage of development in CleanTech’s Chile operations. The company plans to provide large test samples of lithium carbonate to potential offtake partners for product qualification. A reserve report for Laguna Verde is scheduled for completion in October 2024, pending the finalisation of a re-injection well in September.
“We are very pleased by these results as it shows we can produce battery-grade lithium with low impurities from our Laguna Verde brine project. Working with our partners on the downstream process, Forward Water and Conductive Energy, we can now demonstrate the entire DLE process from brine to final lithium product,” said Steve Kesler, Executive Chairman and Interim CEO, of CleanTech Lithium.
“The optimised downstream process will now be applied to the initial volume of 88m3 of concentrated eluate, or approximately 1 tonne of LCE, produced from the first stage of production from our DLE pilot plant. This will produce significant test sample volumes of battery-grade lithium carbonate for commencement of testing with potential strategic partners. This is important whilst the Chilean government is reviewing the feasibility of lithium projects to identify the most advanced companies in Chile and if they are to reach their target of having three to four new lithium projects in development by 2026.”