REG - CleanTech Lithium - Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) Pilot Plant Update

Cleantech LithiumAnnouncement

04/09/2023 07:00

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RNS Number : 1989L  CleanTech Lithium PLC  04 September 2023

4 September 2023

 

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

Direct Lithium Extraction ("DLE") Pilot Plant Update

 

CleanTech Lithium PLC (AIM:CTL, Frankfurt:T2N, OTCQX:CTLHF), an exploration
and development company advancing sustainable lithium projects in Chile for
the clean energy transition, provides an update on the commissioning of the
DLE Pilot Plant.

Highlights:

·    The Company ordered the US$2 million DLE Pilot Plant from Sunresin in
Q1 2023.

·    The plant is designed for process optimisation and to produce a
purified concentrated eluate that will feed the downstream process to deliver
1 tonne per month of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) for product
qualification by potential offtakers and strategic partners.

·    The first of two parts of the plant the DLE columns, and rotary
valve, arrived recently at the Company's facility in Copiapó and are being
installed.

·    The second shipment, which will comprise an electrical cabinet, pumps
and auxiliary equipment, is due to arrive in the coming weeks following recent
completion of final testing in the manufacturers' facilities.

·    Commissioning of the plant is expected to be finalised in Q4 2023.

·    Operational, community and stakeholder liaison office in Copiapó has
opened recently.

Aldo Boitano, Chief Executive Officer, CleanTech Lithium said: "It is an
exciting milestone for the Company to see the DLE Pilot Plant equipment arrive
in Copiapó. Once operational, our aim is to produce up to 1 tonne per month
of lithium carbonate using Direct Lithium Extraction, which, we believe, will
be the future of lithium production in Chile.  DLE is now moving into the
mainstream as it offers a cleaner way of supplying battery grade lithium with
higher purities and shorter production timelines versus other methods such as
evaporation ponds. We are working towards having the DLE Pilot Plant in
operation in Q4 2023.

The Pilot Plant is being installed at our facility in Copiapó where we now
have our main operational base and hub for community and stakeholder
engagement, which is critical to the success of our business.

We will be updating the market shortly on other activities including the
Scoping Study for Francisco Basin."

Fig 1: DLE pilot plant columns installed in Copiapó

 

 

Further Details:

First of the two parts of the DLE Pilot Plant has arrived in Chile where the
Company plans to produce purified concentrated eluate that will allow
production of up to 1 tonne per month of LCE. The US$2 million plant has been
fabricated in Belgium by Puritech, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company's
DLE partner, Sunresin, who are the leading provider of operational DLE
facilities in the world. The plant is being shipped in two stages, with the
columns which are the vessels for the DLE resin, and the rotary valve having
now arrived at CTL's Copiapó facility. Once up and running, the DLE Pilot
Plant will process feed brine to produce an eluate in which lithium has been
selectively extracted and concentrated, while other elements in the brine are
greatly reduced. The eluate will then undergo several stages of concentration
and impurity removal, before carbonation into battery grade lithium.
Arrangements are being made to have this downstream processing undertaken.

Fig. 2: Rotary valve undergoing final testing in Belgium

The DLE Pilot Plant will provide process design data that will be an important
input into the Pre-Feasibility Study phases for both Laguna Verde and
Francisco Basin. Bulk samples of brine have been collected from the more
advanced Laguna Verde project in preparation for testing.

The Pilot Plant has been designed to deliver concentrated eluate that will
allow production of up to 1 tonne per month of battery grade lithium carbonate
for product qualification by potential customers, such as battery
manufacturers and automakers. CTL has a dedicated facility in Copiapó that is
suitable for both the lab scale demo unit and the DLE Pilot Plant. It is
expected that the Plant will be operational for many years, allowing the
Company to optimise its processes from its various projects on an ongoing
basis.

Copiapó Operations and Community Liaison Office

CTL has now completed the refurbishment of the operations office in Copiapó
which will act as the main hub for the Company to communicate directly with
local stakeholders and visiting companies and personnel. The office is located
in the centre of Copiapó, near the regional Government offices.  Operations
management and staff are already working from this location and information on
the Company's projects, training opportunities and consultations with various
stakeholders will take place at the office.

 

 **ENDS**

For further information contact:

 CleanTech Lithium PLC
 Aldo Boitano/Gordon Stein                     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

 Dr. Reuter Investor Relations                 +49 69 1532 5857

 Dr. Eva Reuter

 Harbor Access - North America                 +1 475 477 9401

 Jonathan Paterson/Lisa Micali

 Porter Novelli - Chile                        +569 95348744

 Ernesto Escobar                               Ernesto@publicoporternovelli.cl

 Beaumont Cornish Limited

 (Nominated Adviser)                           +44 (0) 207 628 3396

 Roland Cornish/Asia Szusciak

 Fox-Davies Capital Limited                    +44 (0) 20 3884 8450

 (Joint Broker)

 Daniel Fox-Davies                             daniel@fox-davies.com (mailto:daniel@fox-davies.com)

 Canaccord Genuity Limited                     +44 (0) 207 523 4680

 (Joint Broker)

 James Asensio

 Gordon Hamilton

CleanTech Lithium PLC

 

Aldo Boitano/Gordon Stein

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

 

 

Dr. Reuter Investor Relations

Dr. Eva Reuter

 

Harbor Access - North America

Jonathan Paterson/Lisa Micali

 

Porter Novelli - Chile

Ernesto Escobar

 

Beaumont Cornish Limited

(Nominated Adviser)

Roland Cornish/Asia Szusciak

 

+49 69 1532 5857

 

 

+1 475 477 9401

 

 

+569 95348744

Ernesto@publicoporternovelli.cl

 

 

+44 (0) 207 628 3396

 

 

Fox-Davies Capital Limited

(Joint Broker)

Daniel Fox-Davies

Canaccord Genuity Limited

(Joint Broker)

James Asensio

Gordon Hamilton

 

+44 (0) 20 3884 8450

 

daniel@fox-davies.com (mailto:daniel@fox-davies.com)

+44 (0) 207 523 4680

 

 

 

 

Notes

 

About CleanTech Lithium

CleanTech Lithium (AIM:CTL, Frankfurt:T2N, OTCQX:CTLHF) is an exploration and
development company advancing next-generation sustainable lithium projects in
Chile for the clean energy transition. Proudly sustainable, committed to
net-zero, our mission is to produce material quantities of battery grade,
carbon-neutral lithium using sustainable Direct Lithium Extraction technology,
powered by clean energy, we plan to be the greenest lithium supplier to the EV
market.

CleanTech Lithium has three prospective lithium projects - Laguna Verde,
Francisco Basin and Llamara - located in the lithium triangle, the world's
centre for battery grade lithium production. The Laguna Verde and Francisco
Basin projects are situated within basins entirely controlled by the Company,
which affords significant potential development and operational advantages.
Llamara is the Company's latest greenfield project, which offers material
potential upside at a low initial cost. All three projects have direct access
to excellent infrastructure and renewable power.

CleanTech Lithium is committed to using renewable power for processing and
reducing the environmental impact of its lithium production by utilising
Direct Lithium Extraction. Direct Lithium Extraction is a transformative
technology which removes lithium from brine, with higher recoveries and
purities. The method offers short development lead times, low upfront capex,
with no extensive site construction and no evaporation pond development so
there is no water depletion from the aquifer or harm to the local environment.

 

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