LithiumBank Resources Corp. has opened the doors of its Calgary pilot plant, marking a milestone in the company’s effort to unlock Alberta’s substantial lithium resources.
The results of this pilot plant testing are anticipated to contribute to the feasibility phase of LithiumBank’s development plans, as the Company advances toward commercial development.“Licencing of our pilot plant is a large step forward and a major milestone for our company,” said Paul Matysek, Executive Chairman of LithiumBank. “We believe the successful application of our DLE technology could be instrumental for potentially jump-starting a new resource industry in the province. We look forward to testing brines from the large, inferred lithium resources found at our Boardwalk and Park Place properties.”Lithium is commonly used in lithium-ion batteries, which are needed to power electric vehicles. It is also used in a wide range of products, including greases and medication. Given the rising demand for lithium as electric vehicle production advances, Canada has included lithium on its critical minerals list.Alberta has substantial lithium resources, dissolved in formation waters that are found in oil and gas reservoirs.LithiumBank uses Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology to extract lithium from brines that would otherwise be discarded. The brines to be tested will be collected from western Canadian oil wells at LithiumBank’s Boardwalk, Park Place, and Saskatchewan projects, and transported to the new Calgary pilot plant for test processing. The plant is expected to process 10 000 l/d of lithium-containing brines, making it one of the largest DLE pilot plants in North America.The Alberta provincial government is supportive of the project and its advancement of the future of lithium production in Alberta. Alberta Energy Minister Brian Jean is participating in the pilot plant opening.“LithiumBank’s pilot plant is an important advancement for Alberta’s diverse energy and mineral landscape. We are a global leader in ethically produced energy and are working to be at the forefront of the development of energy transition minerals. Projects like this can help Alberta meet the growing demand for lithium as a tool to decarbonise. This is another example of Alberta innovation and helping produce global solutions to reduce emissions,” added Minister Jean.LithiumBank is deploying exclusive licenced DLE technology from G2L Greenview Resources Ltd. (G2L). DLE technology has environmental and economic benefits over traditional methods of extracting lithium from brines, and produces a clean, lithium-rich concentrate suitable for further refining. The pilot project aims to attain key performance indicators with a focus on lithium recovery, selectivity, flow rate, and concentrate quality. The testing is expected to further demonstrate the commercial viability and scalability of LithiumBank’s unique combination of resource, process and design.The pilot programme, which represents an approximate 1:5,000 scale to future, commercial production modules, is intended to last up to 18 months.Livia Mahler, Go2Lithium CEO, said, “We are thrilled to be a partner in the grand opening of LithiumBank’s Calgary facility. The cDLE® pilot plant employs advanced lithium extraction technology that we expect to set new standards in sustainability and efficiency within the industry. The project represents a milestone in the partnership between Go2Lithium and LithiumBank, aimed at advancing the lithium extraction processes. The cDLE® technology underscores our commitment to environmental responsibility, minimising ecological impact while maximising resource utilisation.”
Read the article online at:
This article was published by:
Visit the original article here
