Canada's E3 Lithium Completes Testing of Over 60,000 Cubic Meters of Brine at Demonstration Project

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 22, Canada's E3 Lithium announced that Phase 2 testing at its lithium extraction demonstration facility in Mountain View County, Alberta, is nearing completion, with cumulative processing of more than 60,000 cubic meters of reservoir fluid. The testing confirmed the sustained production capacity of the Leduc reservoir and the consistency of brine chemistry across different areas, and yielded gas and water production data to refine the engineering design of the commercial plant for the Clearwater lithium project. The project's first phase is planned to produce 12,000 tonnes per year of battery-grade lithium carbonate.

Phase 2 testing employed a set of full-scale production and reinjection wells to conduct reservoir production, brine reinjection, and gas and water data collection. E3 Lithium will use the results to complete the front-end engineering design and feasibility study for the commercial plant. Previously, Phase 1 at the demonstration facility produced battery-grade lithium carbonate using a 30-column direct lithium extraction system, validating the lithium extraction, purification, and carbonation process flows.

The company plans to commence Phase 3 operations in the fourth quarter of 2026, recommissioning the 30-column direct lithium extraction system and continuing lithium carbonate production. Meanwhile, a commercial-scale single-column lithium extraction unit is completing design and procurement preparation, with operation planned for 2027 to conduct longer-cycle production validation and process optimization, providing operating data for equipment selection, plant design, and financing evaluation.

Commercial development of the Clearwater project also includes reservoir development, natural gas processing, brine lithium extraction and purification, and engineering design of lithium carbonate production facilities. Sedgman is responsible for the project's front-end engineering design, and the company has previously set a target of completing the feasibility study and related cost estimates in the first quarter of 2027. The Government of Canada, through the Global Partnerships Initiative, is providing up to CAD 36.5 million in funding support for Phase 3 of the demonstration facility and engineering studies. E3 Lithium is evaluating debt and equity financing options for the project, and no final investment decision has been made for the commercial plant.