World’s First Modular, Cell Lithium Extraction Expertise Validated by SLR in Unbiased Evaluate

• Worldwide Battery Metals achieves step-change in sustainable lithium extraction
• Unbiased technical evaluation confirms first-of-its variety industrial scale plant extracts greater than 65% of lithium from useful resource, dramatically larger than present industrial DLE expertise
• Recycles greater than 94% of water, delivering sustainable environmental efficiency far superior to conventional evaporation extraction strategies
• Modular, cellular design economical to fabricate, deploy and scale to useful resource dimension

VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ – Worldwide Battery Metals Ltd. (the “Firm” or “IBAT”) (CSE: IBAT) (OTC: IBATF) as we speak introduced that SLR Worldwide Company (SLR), a worldwide chief in environmental and engineering providers, has accomplished its unbiased evaluation of IBAT’s first-of-its-kind modular, cellular lithium extraction plant and verified the patented expertise extracts greater than 65% of accessible lithium from brine, successfully strips out impurities and recycles and reuses greater than 94% of water.

“The outcomes of this unbiased evaluation are a powerful validation of our ground-breaking expertise,” mentioned Dr. John Burba, IBAT CEO.  “IBAT’s expertise is quicker and extra economical as a result of it may be constructed, deployed and introduced on-line in a fraction of the time, and at a fraction of the price of conventional lithium mining fashions, and additional, we will extract extra lithium from a given useful resource with much less environmental affect than every other accessible expertise.”

The modular direct lithium extraction (MDLE) plant situated in Lake Charles, Louisiana, has been flow-testing lithium-bearing brine since early Might 2022, and extracting lithium chloride (LiCl) since mid-Might, making IBAT the primary firm globally to efficiently function a commercial-scale cellular lithium extraction plant.

The third-party unbiased evaluation additionally confirmed the strong modular design of the plant and ease of transportation and relocation, which might permit entry and a way to capitalize on a extra various vary of lithium-bearing brine assets globally, together with smaller websites in assorted terrain – corresponding to these within the US – which can be presently thought of uneconomical because of the present, dominant extraction applied sciences.

Additional, with its extremely environment friendly seize of impurities and reinjection of brine again into the unique useful resource, coupled with industry-leading water recycling, IBAT’s sustainable environmental efficiency permits the creation of a thriving, clear lithium extraction {industry} in North America and all over the world.

“From the start, our objective has been to create a expertise that’s environmentally friendlier than any expertise presently in operation, whereas demonstrating constantly superior lithium restoration, scalability and mobility, and we believed we might do all of it at a decrease price,” mentioned Dr. Burba. “We’re thrilled {that a} workforce as skilled, technically expert and globally-renowned as SLR had been capable of validate the expertise on our first operational and commercially accessible plant.”

The SLR evaluation assessed and confirmed:

• the modularity and mobility of the plant design;
• the flexibility to extract lithium, together with:
• effectivity of impurity rejection; 
• efficiency consistency by a number of cycles, and
• water restoration decided from water steadiness calculation.

As configured, the Plant is designed to supply 5,738 tonnes LiCl per yr, or 5,000 tonnes lithium carbonate equal per yr from a brine with a lithium focus of 1,800 elements per million (ppm) of lithium. SLR’s operational evaluation consisted of commentary of steady processing of a brine, containing 300 ppm of lithium, by the plant and monitoring the answer chemistry by sampling at common intervals to find out the efficiency of the method gear and the absorption media by three loading and elution (extraction with a solvent) cycles.

The brine was sourced within the U.S. and delivered in important quantity to the plant through tanker truck. Within the first section of extraction from the uncooked brine, SLR discovered that “lithium extraction for the three cycles ranged from 72.6% Li to 87.5% Li with a median extraction of 81% Li.” Within the second section, which recovers the lithium from the absorbent materials to develop commercial-grade lithium chloride and lithium carbonate, restoration “ranged from 58.3% Li to 89.0% Li with a median of 68.8% Li.”

That is considerably larger than the industry-wide common of fifty% for evaporative lithium processing, based mostly on knowledge from the Nationwide Renewable Vitality Company (NREL), a laboratory of the US Division of Vitality.

An necessary a part of IBAT’s MDLE course of is the selectivity of the absorbent, which strips out the lithium however leaves different naturally occurring components within the brine, which permits the brine to be reintroduced into the surroundings, vastly decreasing the general environmental affect.

Particularly, the SLR report states that the assessments: “point out the clear selectivity of the absorption media in favor of lithium over calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. In the course of the absorption cycle, the lithium focus of the spent brine decreases from a recent feed focus of roughly 300 ppm Li to roughly 10 ppm Li whereas the concentrations of the impurity metals stay basically unchanged.”

As presently configured in Lake Charles, the plant has the potential to supply 5,000 metric tons of commercial-grade lithium chloride on a lithium carbonate equal foundation, annually. Because of its modular design, this identical plant additionally has the potential to be expanded to supply as much as 20,000 metric tons of LiCl per yr, based mostly on the capability and composition of the brine useful resource.

“Our holistic strategy units a brand new customary of environmental care that’s pleasant to the planet and respectful of the areas and communities during which we’ll function,” Dr. Burba mentioned. “This is a vital step ahead in lithium provide for the world, and provide safety in North America, and we’re searching for companions to deploy our expertise at scale.”

IBAT’s expertise arrives on the good time, as lithium is required to supply just about all batteries presently utilized in electrical automobiles in addition to client electronics. Demand for the important thing uncooked materials will rise from roughly 500,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equal (LCE) as of 2021 to some three million to 4 million metric tons by 2030, in keeping with McKinsey.

SLR has reviewed and accepted the data contained on this information launch that’s derived from the SLR report.

Neither Canadian Securities Change nor its Regulation Companies Supplier (as that time period is outlined within the insurance policies of the Canadian Securities Change) accepts duty for the adequacy or accuracy of this launch.

This information launch might include assumptions, estimates, and different forward-looking statements concerning future occasions. Such forward-looking statements contain inherent dangers and uncertainties and are topic to components, lots of that are past the Firm’s management which will trigger precise outcomes or efficiency to vary materially from these presently anticipated in such statements.

Ahead–wanting and cautionary statements

This press launch shall not represent a proposal to promote or the solicitation of a proposal to purchase any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state in the USA during which such supply, solicitation or sale could be illegal. Any securities of the Firm referred to herein haven’t been and won’t be registered beneath the USA Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and will not be supplied or offered in the USA absent registration or an relevant exemption from registration necessities. This launch might include statements throughout the that means of secure harbour provisions as outlined beneath securities legal guidelines and laws.

This launch might include sure ahead–wanting statements with respect to the monetary situation, outcomes of operations and enterprise of the Firm and sure of the plans and targets of the Firm with respect to the identical. There isn’t a assurance that the Firm’s equipment will be capable to commercially produce lithium on the acknowledged capability. The aim of the assessments is to find out if will probably be in a position to take action and profitable completion of the assessments can’t be assured as they’re topic to dangers and uncertainties related to any new mineral processing methodology and traits of the fabric being processed.

By their nature, ahead–wanting statements contain threat and uncertainty as a result of they relate to occasions and depend upon circumstances that can happen sooner or later and there are lots of components that would trigger precise outcomes and developments to vary materially from these expressed or implied by these ahead–wanting statements.

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SOURCE Worldwide Battery Metals Ltd.