Century Lithium (TSX.V: LCE) (OTCQX: CYDVF) is an advanced stage lithium exploration company, focused on domestic lithium production through its 100%-owned Clayton Valley Lithium Project in Nevada, US.
Work completed by Century Lithium led to the discovery of a world-class resource of lithium-bearing claystone, adjacent to the Albemarle Silver Peak mine, North America’s only lithium brine operation.
The lithium resource is exposed at surface, sheltered from erosion by Angel Island, an outcrop of Cambrian metavolcanic and clastic rocks, protruding through the Pliocene lakebed sediments.
At present, the company is actively processing material from its lithium-bearing claystone deposit at its lithium extraction facility in Amargosa Valley, Nevada, while moving toward the completion of a feasibility study and subsequent permitting.
Century Lithium’s goal is to become a domestic producer of high-purity lithium carbonate for the growing electric vehicle and battery storage market.
Development of a lithium extraction facility
In March 2021, based on recommendations in the PFS, Century Lithium announced the development of a lithium extraction facility at del Sol Refining, 125 miles south of the project in Amargosa Valley, Nevada. The operation of the pilot plant is providing essential data for the ongoing feasibility study and allows Century Lithium to produce marketing samples to support negotiations with potential offtake and strategic partners.
The company is using a chloride-based (hydrochloric versus sulfuric acid) approach in the configuration of the pilot plant. Following the release of the PFS, which was based on sulphuric acid, results from an internal scoping study demonstrated major benefits in the areas of economy, process, and environmental stewardship when to using a chloride-based leach method to liberate the lithium from the claystone.
Feasibility study progress
A feasibility study on the project began in February 2022, led by Wood PLC (Wood), supported by Global Resource Engineers, Continental Metallurgical Services, WSP USA Environment & Infrastructure Inc., and Century.
Progress on the feasibility study is proceeding as planned. Wood and the supporting groups have completed or are near completion of several key items, including resource and reserve estimates, mine plan, processing plant design, and tailings and waste storage, and ancillary facilities.
Century Lithium achieved a significant milestone in September 2022, with the production of 99.94% lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) made from lithium-bearing claystone from the project. The Li2CO3 was derived from intermediate concentrated lithium solution produced at Century Lithium’s pilot plant.
Quality lithium carbonate product produced
Following Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) at the Plant, Saltworks Technologies Inc. (Saltworks) completed the processing system design and pilot work to make the Li2CO3.
All processing is completed with material from the project in an end-to-end automated pilot plant that represents full scale production. Independent analyses of product samples were completed by SGS Canada Inc., with the results showing greater than 99.9 weight-percent purity in a scalable representative process.
The lithium carbonate product produced using material from the project surpassed industry basis for standard battery grade Li2CO3 (99.5% purity) and has achieved select industry basis for enhanced battery grade Li2CO3 for electric vehicle use. These results are general in nature, and lithium battery manufactures will have specific requirements for Li2CO3 used in their products dependent on application.
Reducing size and capital cost of the DLE plant
Saltworks completed a second phase of testing which examined the production of lithium from the blowdown-brine stream collected during the lithium carbonate concentration in the first stage of testing. This step has the potential to significantly reduce the volume of material required to be recycled back to the upstream direct lithium recovery (DLE) plant and potentially reduce size and capital cost of the DLE plant.
Based on the results, Li2CO3 will be the end-product for the feasibility study and Saltworks will provide the engineering and design for the final stage for production of Li2CO3.
Century Lithium expects the feasibility study to be completed in the second half of 2023 following receipt of the major components design and cost analysis. With thyssenkrupp nucera USA, Inc leading the design and engineering for the chlor-alkali plant, the largest component remaining to be finalised.
Areas of expertise
- The Clayton Valley Lithium Project is of one of the largest lithium deposits in the United States;
- Advanced stage project;
- Favourable mining jurisdiction – Nevada;
- High quality lithium production; and
- 99.94% battery grade purity lithium carbonate.
