CleanTech Lithium shares surged on Thursday as the lithium explorer announced the commencement of lithium brine testing with SunResin.
CleanTech Lithium are developing the Chilean Laguna Verde and Francisco Basin lithium brine assets and are planning production in 2024.
Crucial to achieving production is the finalisation of their Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) activities and today’s announcement signals an expansion of their efforts to evaluate their processes.
Bulk samples of brine from the sub-surface aquifers of Laguna Verde and Francisco Basin have been sent to SunResin’s facilities in China for testing.
The DLE testing with SunResin will from input data for CleanTech’s feasibility studies. Assuming early tests are successful, SunResin has proposed a pilot project to produce 1 tonne per month of battery grade lithium commencing H1 2023. The plant would be located in Maricunga, 50km away from Laguna Verde.
In addition to the SunResin testing in Chile, a small demo unit is being sent to Chile which has a feed rate of 20l/second. The purpose of this is to produce a small amount of lithium to provide to potential customers.
CleanTech had previously produced 1kg of battery grade lithium in early testing at a Beyond Lithium facility.
“We are delighted to move forward our process test-work with SunResin on multiple fronts including trials on brine from the sub-surface aquifers of our Laguna Verde and Francisco Basin projects, ordering of a DLE demo unit which will arrive in Chile this month and receiving a proposal for the DLE unit for a pilot plant that will produce battery grade lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide for customer testing and verification,“ said Aldo Boitano, Chief Executive Officer, of Cleantech Lithium PLC.
CleanTech Lithium shares jumped 4% to 55.9p on the news and are now up 34% over the past week.