CleanTech Lithium PLC (CTL) has shipped an initial batch of 24 cubic metres of high quality concentrated eluate.
The eluate has now left the company's facilities in Chile and is in transit to a third-party processor, Conductive Energy, in the USA for conversion to battery-grade lithium carbonate.
The concentrated eluate was produced by the company's direct lithium extraction pilot plant in Chile. The shipment of this batch represents the first of several batches that will be processed into battery-grade lithium carbonate.
"The shipping of eluate for processing into battery grade lithium carbonate represents further good progress for the company, as it advances towards commercial production,” said Steve Kesler, executive chairman of CleanTech Lithium.
“When the planned downstream processing is completed, samples of battery-grade lithium will be sent to potential off-takers and investors for analysis, which, along with the PFS planned for later in the year, will support the next phase of the company's development".
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More progress from CleanTech, which has one of the very few working DLE plants anywhere in the world. The shipping of eluate for processing by third party is another key step in proof of concept for the company’s business model, which so far looks nicely on track. Some pundits reckon that CTL will be able to transition to commercial production at around about the same time the lithium price stages a meaningful recovery. If so, the potential for cashflow could be significant.