The company says that the modular system’s small footprint allows for installation at diverse lithium brine resources globally. Credit: Cavan-Images/Shutterstock.

International Battery Metals (IBAT) has initiated operations at its commercial proprietary modular DLE plant in Utah, US.

It is said to be the first lithium produced from the world’s only modular DLE operation and the first commercial DLE operation in North America.

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The facility, which is co-located with US Magnesium’s operations outside Salt Lake City, Utah, is extracting lithium from a magnesium chloride/lithium chloride brine, a byproduct of historic magnesium production.

IBAT noted that its modular DLE system is occupying an area of around one acre, and is currently in production, supplying lithium chloride to US Magnesium.

The company’s immediate focus is to enhance production by adding more columns to the existing DLE modular platform, aiming to substantially increase capacity.

IBAT’s DLE technology promises multiple benefits over traditional extraction methods, including a reduced timeline of around 18 months from construction to production, in contrast to the typical five to seven years.

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The company also anticipates its DLE operation to have among the lowest capital and operational expenditures in the industry.

Additionally, IBAT emphasises that the modular system’s small footprint allows for installation at diverse lithium brine resources globally.

IBAT’s DLE technology is designed to selectively extract lithium ions through absorption with a proprietary crystal structure, yielding a lithium-chloride solution of sufficient purity to produce battery-grade lithium.

Furthermore, the process does not necessitate the use of chemicals for extraction.

Upon completion of acceptance testing at the Utah site, IBAT will receive royalties from US Magnesium from lithium sales, in addition to payments for equipment rental, which will be contingent on lithium prices and operational performance.

In May this year, IBAT raised $10.43m (C$14.27m) through a non-brokered private placement financing, which was used to advance its modular DLE plant.