PFS Plant Location Research Leads to Resolution to Find Carbonation Plant in Mining Centre of Copiapó

CleanTech Lithium PLC (AIM: CTL, Frankfurt:T2N, OTCQX:CTLHF), an exploration and growth firm advancing sustainable lithium initiatives in Chile, declares the outcomes of a plant location examine accomplished as a part of the continuing pre-feasibility examine (PFS) for the Laguna Verde Challenge, which is because of full later this 12 months. The PFS is being led by Worley, a worldwide skilled providers firm of vitality, chemical substances and sources consultants, from its Santiago workplace which has high-level expertise within the lithium sector. Xi´an Lanshen New Materials Know-how Firm (“Lanshen”) has been chosen to offer the lithium processing plant design and tools, and Worley to design the steadiness of plant and infrastructure.

Highlights:

• A plant location examine was accomplished by Worley, which evaluated the optimum plant location configuration for the Laguna Verde mission, based mostly on a capability of 20,000 tonnes every year of battery grade lithium carbonate equal (LCE)
• This supplied a trade-off evaluation between finding all the plant at Laguna Verde versus splitting plant amenities between Laguna Verde and the close by mining centre of Copiapó
• The choice of finding the DLE plant and eluate focus phases on the Laguna Verde web site, and the carbonation plant at Copiapó is extremely beneficial, ensuing within the choice to proceed with this selection
• A concentrated eluate with 6% lithium, the utmost focus earlier than lithium salts start to precipitate, will likely be transported to Copiapó for impurity removing and carbonation phases
• This configuration leads to a minor enhance in volumes transported whereas making the most of Copiapó’s well-developed infrastructure and higher entry to a talented workforce
• Based on the Lanshen plant design, roughly 70% of the operational workforce will likely be employed on the carbonation plant, finding it in Copiapó gives main benefits in hiring a neighborhood work power together with range outcomes reminiscent of higher feminine participation, whereas contributing to the native financial system
• The footprint on the mission web site, which is at 4300m above sea degree, will likely be vastly diminished, from energy provide, storage, camp and plant amenities, building part impacts, and environmental impacts
• The carbonation plant in Copiapó would ultimately be expanded to additionally deal with concentrated eluate from the Viento Andino mission
• The PFS, now due for completion earlier than the top of This autumn this 12 months, will embrace up to date capex and opex estimates and can additional decide the optimum manufacturing growth technique

Steve Kesler, Government Chairman and Interim Chief Government Officer, CleanTech Lithium PLC, mentioned:

“We undertook a plant location examine as a part of our ongoing PFS for the Laguna Verde mission ensuing within the choice to find the DLE and eluate focus phases on the mission web site, and the carbonation plant in Copiapó. This can have varied advantages reminiscent of lowering the footprint and impacts at Laguna Verde, and making the most of current infrastructure, energy provide and expert workforce in Copiapó. The plant at Copiapó can then be expanded to deal with materials from our Viento Andino mission and probably others. The choice on plant configuration will feed instantly into the broader PFS which is because of be accomplished later this 12 months.”

Additional Info

The Firm engaged Worley, utilising its native Santiago based mostly workplace, to undertake the PFS for the Laguna Verde mission, and chosen Lanshen as designer and provider of all the DLE processing plant. Worley lately carried out varied trade-off or choices research to think about probably the most beneficial configuration of the mission and a plant location choice examine which assessed three situations for location of the plant, of which two of the situations, labelled State of affairs 1 and State of affairs 3 within the report, supplied the related trade-off comparability:

• State of affairs 1: Finding all the plant based mostly on the Laguna Verde mission web site
• State of affairs 3: Finding DLE and eluate focus phases on the mission web site, and the impurity removing and carbonation (downstream plant) at Copiapó

Laguna Verde is related to Copiapó through a 270km paved worldwide freeway, as proven in Determine 1. Copiapó is a serious regional mining centre in Chile with a inhabitants of 175,000, having properly established infrastructure, a talented workforce, and current provide hubs for reagents and different supplies. Whereas basing all the plant on the mission web site is possible and most lithium initiatives within the lithium triangle are continuing on such a foundation, the great transport hyperlink and relative proximity to Copiapó made a trade-off examine beneficial.

Determine 1: Regional Map

An evaluation of the distinction in transport volumes was undertaken displaying a minimal general distinction between the 2 situations. For State of affairs 3 the place impurity removing and carbonation phases are in Copiapó, there will likely be no transport of reagents or bulk chemical substances to Laguna Verde which has a optimistic environmental and neighborhood influence.

A qualitative evaluation was then undertaken by the Firm throughout the vary of metrics as proven in Determine 2. There are solely two metrics by which State of affairs 1 the place all the plant is situated at web site has a considerably optimistic comparability. The primary one is storage throughout the building part, in that it’s going to require a single storage facility somewhat than storage at each places for instruments, supplies and spare elements. The second is disposal of solids, which is basically Sodium Chloride (NaCl or desk salt) that’s dissolved within the eluate and eliminated within the impurity removing stage earlier than carbonation. In State of affairs 1, these could be re-dissolved within the spent brine and re-injected. In State of affairs 3, the report assumed NaCl would have to be disposed in Copiapó at a price. Nevertheless there needs to be a prepared marketplace for NaCl and additional analysis of that is required.

Determine 2: Qualitative Comparability- All on web site (1) and break up vegetation (3)

Throughout a spread of different metrics the State of affairs 3 of finding the downstream plant at Copiapó has main benefits. Based on Lanshen, roughly 70% of the operational labour power will work on the downstream plant, which gives a far superior choice for expert workforce based mostly in Copiapó. The footprint on the mission web site will likely be vastly diminished, from energy provide, storage, camp and plant amenities, building part impacts, and environmental impacts. The Board has accepted the examine and the choice to separate the plant amenities between the mission web site and Copiapó would be the foundation for the PFS.

Beaumont Cornish Restricted (“Beaumont Cornish”) is the Firm’s Nominated Adviser and is authorised and controlled by the FCA. Beaumont Cornish’s duties because the Firm’s Nominated Adviser, together with a duty to advise and information the Firm on its duties beneath the AIM Guidelines for Corporations and AIM Guidelines for Nominated Advisers, are owed solely to the London Inventory Change. Beaumont Cornish shouldn’t be performing for and won’t be accountable to another individuals for offering protections afforded to prospects of Beaumont Cornish nor for advising them in relation to the proposed preparations described on this announcement or any matter referred to in it.

Notes

CleanTech Lithium (AIM:CTL, Frankfurt:T2N, OTCQX:CTLHF) is an exploration and growth firm advancing sustainable lithium initiatives in Chile for the clear vitality transition. Dedicated to net-zero, CleanTech Lithium’s mission is to supply materials portions of sustainable battery grade lithium merchandise utilizing Direct Lithium Extraction know-how powered by renewable vitality. The Firm plans to be a number one provider of ‘inexperienced’ lithium to the EV and battery manufacturing market.

CleanTech Lithium has two key lithium initiatives in Chile, Laguna Verde and Viento Andino, and maintain licences in Llamara and Salar de Atacama, situated within the lithium triangle, a number one centre for battery grade lithium manufacturing. The 2 main initiatives: Laguna Verde and Viento Andino are located inside basins managed by the Firm, which affords vital potential growth and operational benefits. All 4 initiatives have direct entry to current infrastructure and renewable energy.

CleanTech Lithium is dedicated to utilizing renewable energy for processing and lowering the environmental influence of its lithium manufacturing by utilising Direct Lithium Extraction with reinjection of spent brine. Direct Lithium Extraction is a transformative know-how which removes lithium from brine, with greater recoveries than typical extraction processes. The tactic provides brief growth lead occasions with no in depth web site building or evaporation pond growth so there’s minimal water depletion from the aquifer. www.ctlithium.com

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