CleanTech Lithium (CTL) , a Chile-focused lithium explorer, has been given the Green Achievement Grand Prix Award at Huawei's Green & Smart Mining: the Future is Here! Green Achievement Awards 2023, Chile. The event, held on December 12 in Santiago, celebrated achievements in advancing a greener and more sustainable future for the Chilean mining industry.
The award recognises CleanTech Lithium's comprehensive approach to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices, prioritising environmental stewardship, community engagement, and responsible use of resources. Particularly notable is the company's early adoption of DLE technology, which is a much more efficient and greener method of extracting lithium from brine compared to conventional evaporation methods.
"We are honoured to win this award which recognises CTL's commitment to producing battery-grade lithium in Chile with a uniquely sustainable ESG approach embedded throughout our business. We believe lithium production should be as green as the electromobility solution it is intended to enable." commented Marcela Sepúlveda, Community Relations Manager of CleanTech Lithium
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A well deserved award for CleanTech Lithium, a pioneer of DLE technology in Chile committed to using 100% renewable energy in its lithium extraction and processing. DLE is a more modern and sustainable method of extracting lithium with significant environmental and cost benefits. In contrast to older methods, DLE has a much smaller geographical footprint, enabling cheaper and more efficient production while reducing aquifer depletion.
DLE offers substantial advantages in extraction efficiency, capacity scaling, timing, and environmental permitting. With the ability to potentially double lithium yield from brine projects, elevating it from the conventional 40-60% range to 70-90%+, DLE introduces sustainability benefits that align with the preferences of ESG-oriented investors. Notably, these include a remarkable 20-fold reduction in land usage from the lack of evaporation ponds.
CleanTech ordered its DLE pilot plant from Sunresin in Q1 2023, which has now been assembled and tested. Expected to be commissioned in the next few months, the plant is designed to produce up to 1 tonne per month of LCE in concentrated lithium eluate, which will be processed to battery-grade lithium carbonate at an existing 3rd party facility. CleanTech is also advancing a pre-feasibility study (PFS) at its flagship Laguna Verde project, which will incorporate results from test work over 6 months using a lab-scale multivalve DLE system.
CleanTech's approach is aligned with Chile's National Lithium Strategy, which mandates the use of DLE. CleanTech also places an emphasis on community engagement and wellbeing, having recently announced an alliance with the Colla territorial communities for the first co-created mining model for lithium extraction in Chile.
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