Century Lithium Advances Production with New Lithium Carbonate Stage at Nevada Facility
Century Lithium has announced the successful integration of a lithium carbonate production stage at its Lithium Extraction Facility, also known as the Pilot Plant, located in Amargosa Valley, Nevada. This development is part of the company’s 100%-owned Angel Island Mine project. Prior to this addition, concentrated lithium solutions from the Pilot Plant were sent to Saltworks Inc. in Richmond, B.C., for processing into battery-quality lithium carbonate.
During the initial startup of the new lithium carbonate stage, Century Lithium's team processed 200 liters of concentrated lithium solution, yielding 20 kg of high-grade lithium carbonate on site. President and CEO Bill Willoughby emphasized the significance of this milestone, aligning with recommendations from the company’s recent Feasibility Study. He noted that, despite the drop in lithium prices affecting share values across the industry, domestic production remains crucial for securing supply in the U.S. Producing battery-quality lithium carbonate directly from Nevada’s claystone deposits offers the advantage of reducing or eliminating the need for downstream processing.
Century Lithium continues to operate its Pilot Plant using a patent-pending chloride leaching process combined with Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE). This approach aims to make lithium extraction from clay more economically viable. The addition of the lithium carbonate stage is a key recommendation from the Feasibility Study to demonstrate the ability to produce high-quality lithium carbonate and optimize the process by minimizing recycle streams from DLE to the final product.
With support from Hargrove Engineers and Constructors, Century’s team configured equipment to handle 40-liter batches of concentrated lithium solution, which undergoes precipitation, washing, and drying steps. Final assays on the lithium carbonate are pending, as the company seeks further technological advancements to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness in lithium extraction.
