Canada-based lithium brine developer E3 Lithium has announced the on-schedule arrival of equipment for the demonstration facility at its lithium carbonate Clearwater Project site.
This includes the 30-column direct lithium extraction (DLE) system and its associated polishing and purification units.
The firm said the equipment will be used for the first and second phases of the planned testing at the demonstration facility.
It consists of five separate skids that will be tied together so that it can operate fully automated. The equipment is to be assembled on site and tested to ensure no damage during transport.
The commissioning of the equipment will begin with leak testing and electrical inspections, after which raw brine will start to be processed.
Phase 1 will end with the completion of the commissioning which will use brine available on the surface to produce lithium carbonate.
Phase 2 will involve drilling the wells and the production well will be directly tied into the 30-column equipment to operate as a ‘live’ brine feed.
The company said each phase of the demonstration facility is a step towards validating its processing technology and its ability to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate at scale.
Chris Doornbos, president and CEO, E3 Lithium, said, “The arrival of the equipment officially kicks off our Demonstration Program and is a key milestone towards commercial lithium production. With only a few systems of this kind operating, we appreciate each of our vendors and engineering firms for their ongoing support. The E3 Lithium team is excited to get the equipment operating and we look forward to providing additional updates on the Demonstration Facility as we progress towards commissioning Phase 1.”
Image: The arrival of demonstration equipment skids on site July 7 2025. Credit: E3 Lithium
