UK-based CleanTech Lithium PLC (AIM: CTL) announced on Wednesday that its pilot plant for direct lithium extraction (DLE) in Copiapó, northern Chile, has commenced operations.

The plant has a design capacity of one tonne per month of lithium carbonate equivalent as concentrated eluate.

The first production of eluate was completed in the past week, and it will begin to be shipped in batches to North America, CleanTech said. Brine from the company’s Laguna Verde project, located approximately 250 km from the pilot plant, was processed through DLE columns.

“This pilot plant aims to produce significant quantities of battery-grade product for evaluation by potential strategic partners, making CTL one of the few companies in the sector to produce pilot-scale volumes of battery-grade product,” said CleanTech CEO Aldo Boitano.

“The pilot plant positions CTL as a leader in the sector and in Chile, with the first eluate production representing a significant milestone for the company,” he added.

Read More: CleanTech kicks off exploration at two new Chilean assets

Source: MINING.COM – Read More