New #Lithium Supply - From Pilot Plants to
Commercialization; Companies Ramping up for Global Demand of the Future; (TSXV:
$ETMC.V) (OTC: $EEMMF) (NYSE: $SQM) (TSXV: $NLC.V) (OTCQX: $NTTHF) (TSX:
$LAC.TO) (NYSE: $LAC)
Point Roberts WA,
Delta BC – March 4, 2019 - Investorideas.com, an investor news
source covering lithium stocks, issues a snapshot looking at key trends
including growing demand due to EV growth, new extraction technology and strong
financials from industry leaders, creating renewed investor optimism.
Lithium has been in
high discussion following the strong financials recently reported by
lithium giant Albemarle Corporation, setting the stage
for a bullish mindset for the lithium sector.
Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE: SQM) also recently
reported their Q4 Earnings call in which Ricardo
Ramos, Chief
Executive Officer of SQM commented on the company’s 2018 year and the state of
lithium moving into 2019.
“Our high-grade sales volume in ESPN, high-grade
iodine and high grade average price of lithium contributed to our 2018 results.
The Lithium market is surrounded, as you know, by positive news. Full electric
vehicle penetration level reached approximately 2%, and these rates are
expected to grow probably in the future. Demand growth in 2018 surprised us
again, surpassing 27%, and it's expected to grow rates above 20% in 2019,” said
Ramos.
As the lithium
leaders pave the way for bullish sentiment in the sector, incumbent new sources
of lithium are being developed by a select few players in the space advancing lithium
brine projects.
E3 METALS CORP. (TSXV: ETMC) (OTC: EEMMF), a lithium development company with a property
containing 6.7 Mt LCE inferred mineral resource in Alberta, announced a major
milestone in the development of its proprietary extraction process, a key to
their future positioning in the market.
Since its inception
in 2017, E3 Metals has quadrupled its permit size, put out a maiden resource
and subsequently tripled it, developed proprietary Ion Exchange Lithium
Extraction Technology and advanced its lithium process closer to
commercialization.
The Company is close
to piloting its technology which converts oilfield brine into pure high-grade
feedstock to be transformed into valuable lithium products, with optionality
for hydroxide or carbonate.
Summarized from the news: E3 has enhanced performance of its
proprietary Ion Exchange Lithium Extraction Technology, achieving higher
lithium concentrations of up to 5367 mg/L lithium, compared to the previous
level of 1498 mg/L. Average recovery was over 90%, confirming very high
efficiency and greater than 99% impurity removal.
E3 Metals’ CEO Chris Doornbos stated, “This
increase in concentration using our proprietary Extraction Technology is the
key to unlocking the value of our vast, yet lower grade, resource. These
results move us a significant step toward supporting E3’s goal of becoming an
industry leading, low-cost producer of battery grade lithium products. We have
demonstrated the ability to significantly increase our lithium concentration
without using additional energy. The higher concentration means less volume to
handle downstream from our lithium Extraction Technology and should reduce the
energy, inputs and potentially the capital and operating costs required to
generate lithium hydroxide. These results continually demonstrate an innovative
and robust process developed by the University of Alberta supported by Green
Centre Canada, with funding from Alberta Innovates.”
Neo Lithium Corp. (TSXV: NLC) (OTCQX: NTTHF) says it aims to be
known as a “prominent new name in lithium brine exploration by virtue of its
high quality 3Q Project and experienced team.”
The Company recently announced that the lithium
carbonate pilot plant built by the Instituto de Investigaciones Tecnologicas
from Universidad de Concepcion, Chile has successfully arrived in Fiambala,
Catamarca, Argentina. The Company’s engineers have started reassembling the
Plant and expect to have it fully operational in late February for its Tres
Quebradas lithium brine project in Catamarca Province, Argentina.
The Plant was
previously successfully tested with synthetic brine in Chile and is going to
start using brine from the 3Q Project, concentrated approximately to 4% lithium
from 3Q Project pilot evaporation ponds to start pilot scale production of
lithium carbonate at the Plant. Currently the designed annual capacity of the
pilot ponds is over 500 tonnes of approximate 4% lithium brine per year, and
the Plant has a designed capacity of 50 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year.
Lithium Americas
Corp. (TSX: LAC) (NYSE: LAC), advancing its Cauchari-Olaroz
lithium brine project in Jujuy, Argentina and Thacker Pass lithium claystone
project in Nevada, USA to production just reported temporary disruptions
in Argentina due to heavy rainfall.
Also included in the update;
“Following the release of the Preliminary Feasibility Study in August 2018,
through development of a pilot plant in Reno, Nevada, the Company is
considering the production of lithium hydroxide directly from lithium sulphate
to provide added flexibility. Commissioning of the pilot plant is underway,
with testing and optimization expected to commence in the near term.”
From pilot plants to
full production, the lithium sector is ramping up for long term global demand. Incumbent
lithium brine companies will be able to compete if they can keep their costs
down and advance their extraction technologies, readying themselves for the EV
highways of the future.
Investor Ideas directory
of lithium stocks: mining stocks directory and cleantech stock directories, relating to
batteries.
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