International Battery Metals Ltd (IBAT), the US based lithium technology company, announced the appointment of Iris Jancik as Chief Executive Officer, effective in mid-August. Jancik will focus on expanding commercial deployment of IBAT’s patented modular direct lithium extraction (DLE) plants.
IBAT is focused on the development of environmentally responsible methods of extracting lithium compounds from brine. The company’s DLE plant has been independently verified to extract more than 97% of available lithium. Due to the plant’s advanced water recovery rate of up to 98% of water recycled, IBAT’s technology is highly protective of water resources. IBAT has demonstrated that the technology can extract lithium from subterranean brine sources and return the lithium-depleted brine to the same subsurface aquifer in a closed recycling loop.
“IBAT’s proprietary commercialised DLE technology is proven, ready to push-start a US lithium industry, and revolutionise global production, making this a prime time to join the organisation,” Jancik said, commenting the fact that IBAT recently announced installation of its first commercial lithium production plant in North America, co-located at US Magnesium’s (US Mag) operations outside Salt Lake City, Utah. The DLE plant has an initial design capacity of 5,000 metric tons/year and expects to begin lithium production in June. The plant processes brine produced from lithium-containing waste-magnesium salts, and the lithium chloride product will provide feed for high-purity lithium carbonate production by US Mag.
This is the first modular DLE plant in the world. “Burgeoning battery demand requires a wholesale change in how lithium is produced, and IBAT delivers the right combination of efficiency, sustainability and scalability to reach new heights,” Jancik said.
Prior to joining IBAT, Jancik served as CEO of IDE Americas, a subsidiary of IDE Technologies, a global desalination and water treatment solutions company, where she has been responsible for the development and operations of major infrastructure projects.
