en.Wedoany.com Reported - Direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology company Lilac Solutions has selected JordProxa to provide technology and equipment for the downstream conversion process at its Phase 1 commercial lithium carbonate facility on the Great Salt Lake in Utah, USA.
Under the agreement, JordProxa will supply technology solutions and equipment for the downstream conversion section of the facility, with associated performance guarantees. The solution converts lithium sulfate eluate from Lilac's ion exchange (IX) process into battery-grade lithium carbonate through evaporation, purification, and crystallization processes. This collaboration was reached following testing and basic engineering during the FEL-3 project phase, during which JordProxa processed eluate directly sourced from Great Salt Lake brine and successfully produced battery-grade lithium carbonate.
Lilac CEO Raef Sully stated that JordProxa has deep experience in evaporation and crystallization technologies, and its work during the FEL-3 phase gave the company confidence in its commercial-scale delivery capabilities. JordProxa Managing Director Paul Browne noted that the Great Salt Lake resource is exceptional, and the project demonstrates the potential of combining innovative DLE technology with mature downstream processing.
The north arm of the Great Salt Lake is estimated to contain 1.4 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent, making it one of the largest lithium resources discovered in the United States. The Phase 1 facility is located on a 20-acre lakeside site in Box Elder County, Utah, with a designed annual capacity of 5,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate, with first lithium production planned for 2028. A Phase 2 expansion will bring total capacity to 20,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE).
Lilac uses fifth-generation ion exchange technology to extract lithium from directly pumped lake water, returning lithium-depleted brine to the lake at equal volumes. This non-consumptive process does not lower the lake's water level, generates local tax revenue and royalties to support lake conservation, and creates jobs in Utah. The ion exchange media—the core active material in the extraction process—will be produced at Lilac's manufacturing facility in Fernley, Nevada, ensuring a fully domestic supply chain for the extraction process.
In 2025, Lilac completed a seven-month pilot plant on the lake, achieving an average lithium recovery rate of 87% from high-sulfate brine containing only 70 mg/L lithium, demonstrating the ability to economically extract lithium from ultra-low-grade brine. Independent third-party analysis confirmed the technology's performance and compliance with non-consumptive and non-polluting process requirements.
Lilac recently selected Hatch as the EPCM partner for the Great Salt Lake project. Together with the technology and equipment contract with JordProxa, Lilac has now identified the primary contractors needed to advance the project into the construction phase. Additionally, Lilac has signed a binding 10-year take-or-pay offtake agreement with Traxys North America, covering 100% of Phase 1 planned production. The project is expected to be among the first US lithium brine projects to reach a final investment decision.
