RCS - CleanTech Lithium - Community Support for Laguna Verde Project

Cleantech LithiumAnnouncement

11/09/2024 07:00

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RNS Number : 6307D  CleanTech Lithium PLC  11 September 2024

RNS Reach

11.09.2024

CleanTech Lithium PLC ("CleanTech Lithium" or the "Company")

Indigenous community leader publicly endorses Laguna Verde project at key
mining seminar in Santiago, Chile

 

CleanTech Lithium PLC (AIM: CTL, Frankfurt:T2N, OTCQX:CTLHF), an exploration
and development company advancing sustainable lithium projects in Chile,
participated in the Centre for Copper and Mining Studies ("CESCO") seminar in
Santiago, a prominent annual seminar for the mining sector in Chile, and
received public support from the local indigenous community for its Laguna
Verde project. Executive Chairman and Interim CEO, Steve Kesler, presented and
reinforced the Company is ready to begin project construction by 2026 upon the
granting of a Special Lithium Operating Contract ("CEOL") by the Chilean
Government.

Highlights:

·    CESCO seminar brought together key industry stakeholders including
government and local community representatives to discuss the development of
the lithium sector in Chile

·    Ercilia Araya, President of the Colla Pai-Ote indigenous community
expressed support for lithium project development depending on companies
building solid community relationships and agreements, as achieved by CTL, and
advocating for such projects to move forward.

·    Industry experts discussed the main challenges facing the sector and
how to advance projects faster in line with the National Lithium Strategy,
with implementing sustainable extraction technologies such as Direct Lithium
Extraction being critical to that.

·    CTL has a co-signed agreement with the nearby local communities which
will initially focus on the Laguna Verde project and aligns with the
priorities set by the Chilean Government to advance the objectives of the
National Lithium Strategy

Steve Kesler, Executive Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer,
CleanTech Lithium PLC, said:

"We are very well placed to be one of the projects that the Government aims to
have operational by 2026. We believe the Laguna Verde project is the
best-positioned new lithium project to commence operations in Chile within the
earliest timeframe. We highly value the support of the indigenous community
which we think provides a rare and valuable partnership in facilitating
mutually beneficial project development."

 

Ercilia Araya, President of the Colla Pai-Ote indigenous community, said:

"We want the State to respect us in our territories and recognise our right to
determine to whom the CEOLs are granted through proper indigenous
consultations. It is a matter of dignity. I have a dream for the Atacama
region. When CleanTech arrived, they explained how they would carry out the
process, building together with us the information collection for submission
of the EIA. That is our dream. The dream of being able to participate, to be
consulted."

 

 Image 1: Ercilia Araya, President Pai-Ote Colla Community speaking at the  Image 2: Marcela Sepúlveda, Community Relations Manager CleanTech Lithium,
 CESCO Seminar in Santiago, Chile                                           Cristián Quinzio, Quinzio Abogados, Alina Bendersky, Partner Bofil Mir,
                                                                            Ercilia Araya, President Pai-Ote Colla Community and Juan Ignacio Guzmán,
                                                                            Executive Director, GEM

 Image 3: Steve Kesler, Executive Chairman and Interim CEO, presenting at the
 CESCO Seminar in Santiago, Chile

 

 

The seminar, organised by CESCO, brought together industry spokespeople to
provide a comprehensive view of the current situation of the lithium industry
in Chile, considering the progress of the National Lithium Strategy.

Juan Esteban Fuentes, Associate Director at Benchmark Minerals, attended and
further commented: "From 2030, the current surplus [of lithium] is expected to
diminish, requiring a significant number of projects to double production over
the next 10 years globally (to around 2.6 million tonnes), which implies the
incorporation of 70 to 80 more operations and US$188 billion in capital by
2040."

 

Arlene Ebensperger, advisor to the Ministry of Mining, also highlighted the
need to harmonise the role of indigenous communities with the development of
the industry through governance models which builds a shared vision and agreed
objectives.

CleanTech Lithium co-signed an agreement with the local indigenous communities
in 2023. The alliance will ensure that the extraction processes conducted in
the region by the Company comply with the highest international standards,
including a process of early consultation with the communities to see their
direct participation by providing data for the environmental baselines
required for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

 

 For further information contact:
 CleanTech Lithium PLC
 Steve Kesler/Gordon Stein/Nick Baxter          Jersey office: +44 (0) 1534 668 321

                                                Chile office: +562-32239222
                                                Or via Celicourt
 Celicourt Communications                       +44 (0) 20 7770 6424

 Felicity Winkles/Philip Dennis/Ali AlQahtani   cleantech@celicourt.uk (mailto:cleantech@celicourt.uk)
 Beaumont Cornish Limited (Nominated Adviser)   +44 (0) 20 7628 3396

 Roland Cornish/Asia Szusciak
 Fox-Davies Capital Limited (Joint Broker)      +44 (0) 20 3884 8450

 Daniel Fox-Davies                              daniel@fox-davies.com (mailto:daniel@fox-davies.com)
 Canaccord Genuity (Joint Broker)               +44 (0) 20 7523 4680

 James Asensio

 

Beaumont Cornish Limited ("Beaumont Cornish") is the Company's Nominated
Adviser and is authorised and regulated by the FCA. Beaumont Cornish's
responsibilities as the Company's Nominated Adviser, including a
responsibility to advise and guide the Company on its responsibilities under
the AIM Rules for Companies and AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers, are owed
solely to the London Stock Exchange. Beaumont Cornish is not acting for and
will not be responsible to any other persons for providing protections
afforded to customers of Beaumont Cornish nor for advising them in relation to
the proposed arrangements described in this announcement or any matter
referred to in it.

 

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Notes

CleanTech Lithium (AIM:CTL, Frankfurt:T2N, OTCQX:CTLHF) is an exploration and
development company advancing lithium projects in Chile for the clean energy
transition. Committed to net-zero, CleanTech Lithium's mission is to become a
new supplier of battery grade lithium using Direct Lithium Extraction
technology powered by renewable energy.

CleanTech Lithium has two key lithium projects in Chile, Laguna Verde and
Viento Andino, and exploration stage projects in Llamara and Arenas Blancas
(Salar de Atacama), located in the lithium triangle, a leading centre for
battery grade lithium production. The two most advanced projects: Laguna Verde
and Viento Andino are situated within basins controlled by the Company,
which affords significant potential development and operational advantages.
All four projects have good access to existing infrastructure.

CleanTech Lithium is committed to utilising Direct Lithium Extraction with
reinjection of spent brine resulting in no aquifer depletion. Direct Lithium
Extraction is a transformative technology which removes lithium from brine
with higher recoveries, short development lead times and no extensive
evaporation pond construction.  www.ctlithium.com (http://www.ctlithium.com/)

 

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