PFS Plant Location Research Ends in Choice to Find Carbonation Plant in Mining Centre of Copiapó

CleanTech Lithium PLC (AIM: CTL, Frankfurt:T2N, OTCQX:CTLHF), an exploration and improvement firm advancing sustainable lithium tasks in Chile, proclaims the outcomes of a plant location research accomplished as a part of the continued pre-feasibility research (PFS) for the Laguna Verde Venture, which is because of full later this yr. The PFS is being led by Worley, a worldwide skilled companies firm of vitality, chemical compounds and assets 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 supply the lithium processing plant design and gear, and Worley to design the steadiness of plant and infrastructure.

Highlights:

• A plant location research was accomplished by Worley, which evaluated the optimum plant location configuration for the Laguna Verde undertaking, based mostly on a capability of 20,000 tonnes each year of battery grade lithium carbonate equal (LCE)
• This offered a trade-off evaluation between finding your complete plant at Laguna Verde versus splitting plant services between Laguna Verde and the close by mining centre of Copiapó
• The choice of finding the DLE plant and eluate focus levels on the Laguna Verde web site, and the carbonation plant at Copiapó is very beneficial, ensuing within the resolution to proceed with this feature
• A concentrated eluate with 6% lithium, the utmost focus earlier than lithium salts start to precipitate, will probably be transported to Copiapó for impurity elimination and carbonation levels
• This configuration ends in a minor improve in volumes transported whereas making the most of Copiapó’s well-developed infrastructure and higher entry to a talented workforce
• In accordance with the Lanshen plant design, roughly 70% of the operational workforce will probably be employed on the carbonation plant, finding it in Copiapó gives main benefits in hiring a neighborhood work power together with variety outcomes equivalent to higher feminine participation, whereas contributing to the native economic system
• The footprint on the undertaking web site, which is at 4300m above sea stage, will probably be tremendously diminished, from energy provide, storage, camp and plant services, building section impacts, and environmental impacts
• The carbonation plant in Copiapó would ultimately be expanded to additionally deal with concentrated eluate from the Viento Andino undertaking
• The PFS, now due for completion earlier than the tip of This autumn this yr, will embrace up to date capex and opex estimates and can additional decide the optimum manufacturing improvement technique

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

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

Additional Data

The Firm engaged Worley, utilising its native Santiago based mostly workplace, to undertake the PFS for the Laguna Verde undertaking, and chosen Lanshen as designer and provider of your complete DLE processing plant. Worley just lately carried out varied trade-off or choices research to contemplate essentially the most beneficial configuration of the undertaking and a plant location possibility research which assessed three situations for location of the plant, of which two of the situations, labelled Situation 1 and Situation 3 within the report, offered the related trade-off comparability:

• Situation 1: Finding your complete plant based mostly on the Laguna Verde undertaking web site
• Situation 3: Finding DLE and eluate focus levels on the undertaking web site, and the impurity elimination and carbonation (downstream plant) at Copiapó

Laguna Verde is linked to Copiapó through a 270km paved worldwide freeway, as proven in Determine 1. Copiapó is a significant regional mining centre in Chile with a inhabitants of 175,000, having effectively established infrastructure, a talented workforce, and present provide hubs for reagents and different supplies. Whereas basing your complete plant on the undertaking web site is possible and most lithium tasks within the lithium triangle are continuing on such a foundation, the great transport hyperlink and relative proximity to Copiapó made a trade-off research precious.

Determine 1: Regional Map

An evaluation of the distinction in transport volumes was undertaken displaying a minimal total distinction between the 2 situations. For Situation 3 the place impurity elimination and carbonation levels are in Copiapó, there will probably be no transport of reagents or bulk chemical compounds to Laguna Verde which has a optimistic environmental and group impression.

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 Situation 1 the place your complete plant is situated at web site has a considerably optimistic comparability. The primary one is storage through the building section, in that it’s going to require a single storage facility reasonably than storage at each areas 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 elimination stage earlier than carbonation. In Situation 1, these could be re-dissolved within the spent brine and re-injected. In Situation 3, the report assumed NaCl would have to be disposed in Copiapó at a price. Nevertheless there must be a prepared marketplace for NaCl and additional analysis of that is required.

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

Throughout a variety of different metrics the Situation 3 of finding the downstream plant at Copiapó has main benefits. In accordance with Lanshen, roughly 70% of the operational labour power will work on the downstream plant, which gives a far superior possibility for expert workforce based mostly in Copiapó. The footprint on the undertaking web site will probably be tremendously diminished, from energy provide, storage, camp and plant services, building section impacts, and environmental impacts. The Board has accepted the research and the choice to separate the plant services between the undertaking 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 tasks because the Firm’s Nominated Adviser, together with a accountability to advise and information the Firm on its tasks beneath the AIM Guidelines for Firms and AIM Guidelines for Nominated Advisers, are owed solely to the London Inventory Alternate. Beaumont Cornish is just not 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 improvement firm advancing sustainable lithium tasks 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 tasks 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 tasks: Laguna Verde and Viento Andino are located inside basins managed by the Firm, which affords important potential improvement and operational benefits. All 4 tasks have direct entry to present infrastructure and renewable energy.

CleanTech Lithium is dedicated to utilizing renewable energy for processing and lowering the environmental impression 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 larger recoveries than standard extraction processes. The strategy gives brief improvement lead occasions with no intensive web site building or evaporation pond improvement so there’s minimal water depletion from the aquifer. www.ctlithium.com

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