Media Advisory: Standard Lithium Commences Operations at First-of-Its-Kind Direct Lithium Extraction Plant in Arkansas
Virtual ribbon cutting and plant walk-through with introduction to the disruptive direct lithium extraction process
EL DORADO, Ark., Sept. 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Standard Lithium Ltd., an innovative technology and lithium project development company, marks the commencement of operations at the company’s LiSTR Direct Lithium Extraction facility, with a virtual ribbon cutting event and video tour that includes a walk-through of the plant and extraction technology.
| Who: Co-hosted by Robert Mintak, CEO and Dr. Andy Robinson COO of Standard Lithium, and project partner LANXESS USA CEO Antonis Papadourakis. Remarks by Arkansas Governor, Asa Hutchinson, Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton, member of Congress Bruce Westerman, local officials and other stakeholders. | |
| What: The successful commissioning and commencement of operations of this global “first-of-its-kind” industrial-scale Direct Lithium Extraction demonstration plant is the culmination of three years of dedicated work. Lithium is an integral component of batteries for electric vehicles (EV). As EV purchases have rocketed so has the need for batteries, which in turn is fueling lithium demand. | |
| When: Monday, September 21 at 2 pm ET – Ribbon Cutting event | |
| Pre-briefings under NDA and day-of briefings are available, To schedule, please contact slpr@watersagency.com. | |
| Where: Ribbon Cutting event and tour of the LiSTR plant located at the LANXESS South Plant facility approximately 10 minutes from El Dorado, Arkansas will be hosted on the company’s website and YouTube channel. | |
Additional Background
LiSTR Direct Lithium Extraction Technology: LiSTR (an acronym for Lithium Stirred Tank Reactor) is an environmentally-friendly technology that selectively extracts lithium ions from tail brine that is a by-product of existing bromine production facilities run by LANXESS in south Arkansas. When compared to the conventional methods for recovering lithium from brine, the LiSTR process provides many benefits:
- Vastly increased recovery time - from as long as a year to several hours
- Significant efficiency gains - as 90% recovery versus 40-60%
- Improved final product purity
- Unlocking of unconventional resources like Arkansas Smackover Brines
Critical Mineral: Lithium’s growing importance was reflected in a Trump administration executive order. The soft metal was among 35 “critical minerals” for which the government wants to boost domestic production and reduce its heavy reliance on imports.
"It shall be the policy of the federal government to reduce the nation's vulnerability to disruptions in the supply of critical minerals, which constitutes a strategic vulnerability for the security and prosperity of the United States," reads Executive Order 13817, signed by President Trump at the end of 2017.
- U.S. imports of lithium have nearly doubled since 2014 due in part to rising demand from Tesla, SK Innovation Co and others building battery plants in the country, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
- No new lithium mine has been built in the United States in almost 60 years and the country currently produces less than 2% of global lithium production.
- Standard Lithium’s south Arkansas lithium project represents the most immediate opportunity to change that.
- Planning for the projects phased commercial development – with a target initial annual production of 20,900 tonnes of battery quality lithium chemicals, roughly five times the current domestic production – is currently underway.
About Standard Lithium Ltd.
Standard Lithium (TSXV: SLL) is an innovative technology and lithium development company. The company’s flagship project is located in southern Arkansas, where it is engaged in the testing and proving of the commercial viability of lithium extraction from over 150,000 acres of permitted brine operations. The company has commissioned its first-of-a-kind industrial scale Direct Lithium Extraction Demonstration Plant at LANXESS’ South Plant facility in southern Arkansas. The Demonstration Plant utilizes the Company’s proprietary LiSTR technology to selectively extract lithium from LANXESS’ tailbrine. The Demonstration Plant is being used for proof-of-concept and commercial feasibility studies. The scalable, environmentally-friendly process eliminates the use of evaporation ponds, reduces processing time from months to hours and greatly increases the effective recovery of lithium. The company is also pursuing the resource development of over 30,000 acres of separate brine leases located in southwestern Arkansas and approximately 45,000 acres of mineral leases located in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California.
Standard Lithium is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol “SLL”; quoted on the OTC - Nasdaq Intl Designation under the symbol “STLHF”; and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol “S5L”. Please visit the Company’s website at www.standardlithium.com
Contact: Glenn Rossman Waters Agency (for Standard Lithium) glenn@watersagency.com
Released September 18, 2020