Prairie Lithium Commissions New Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) Pilot Plant to Further De-Risk Commercial Deployment
EMERALD PARK, Saskatchewan–(BUSINESS WIRE)–PRAIRIE LITHIUM CORPORATION (“Prairie Lithium” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the commissioning of the third iteration of their Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) pilot plant at the Emerald Park testing facility.
The DLE pilot is designed to process deep subsurface brines sourced from Prairie Lithium’s Fall 2022 drilling program when 600 m3 of lithium rich brine was reserved for ongoing DLE technology testing. The pilot plant utilizes Prairie Lithium’s Ion Exchange (Plix) material designed to selectively extract lithium from the produced brine water, purposely reducing the amount of contaminants that are carried over into the production stream.
The third iteration of the pilot plant was designed based off the first two DLE pilot plants that ran in the facility over the course of 2021 and 2022. The new plant builds on the experience and knowledge gained from its predecessors, which processed ~400 m3 of lithium rich brine over the lifespans. Significant changes to the plant’s design include new equipment to reduce processing time, improved configuration to enable continuous flow and increased processing capacity.
“This is really a testament to the team we have at Prairie Lithium, relentlessly improving and pushing our technology towards commercial deployment. Doing so without sacrificing quality or safety under tight timelines to keep the project on schedule,” states Don Bender, Prairie Lithium’s Research, Development, & Engineering Manager.
The pilot plant is expected to provide the information required to enable the design of a field demonstration plant to be deployed on a Prairie Lithium wellsite in Southeast Saskatchewan. Recently, the Company converted mineral exploration permits into 21-year mineral leases, the first ever in Saskatchewan’s history for lithium brines. More details on this can be found in the Oct. 19, 2022, press release at prairielithium.ca/media.
About Prairie Lithium:
Prairie Lithium is a private lithium resource and technology developer situated in the heart of the resource-rich Williston Basin in Saskatchewan, Canada. For more information about the Company, please visit www.prairielithium.ca or contact info@prairielithium.ca.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, concerning Prairie Lithium’s business and affairs. Such statements include, but may not be limited to, those with respect to: (i) Prairie Lithium’s ability to produce both lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide from the lithium solution extracted using its Lithium Ion Exchange (Plix) technology; (ii) Prairie Lithium’s land holdings containing brine with the expected lithium concentrations; (iii) Prairie Lithium’s anticipated exploration and project development activities; (iv) Prairie Lithium’s continued expertise in brine hydrochemistry and hydrogeology; (v) the potential for the lithium extraction industry in Saskatchewan, a continued stable legal regime governing the industry in Saskatchewan, and continued support from all levels of government; (vi) price of battery grade lithium and future global demand; and (vii) use of proceeds from the private placement.
These statements are based on expectations, and are subject to uncertainty and changes that may cause actual results to differ materially. Although Prairie Lithium believes that expectations represented in such statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that these expectations will prove correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ from those anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the lithium industry in general, operational risks in relation to the Company’s activities, the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production, health, safety and environmental risks, constraint in the availability of services, commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations, changes in legislation impacting the lithium battery industry and uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures.
All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. This information is provided as of the date of this press release, and Prairie Lithium assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required under applicable securities legislation.
Contacts
Sarah Humble, communications@prairielithium.ca
