CANONSBURG, Pa., March 14,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aquatech is pleased to
announce it has been awarded a contract for the lithium refining
and purification process plants by Lithium Americas Corp. (TSX:
LAC) (NYSE: LAC) ("Lithium Americas"), for the Thacker Pass lithium
project in Nevada, the largest
known lithium reserve in the U.S.
Aquatech has commenced work on the project, which includes
multiple process trains incorporating evaporation and
crystallization systems for purification and chemical production of
lithium carbonate (Li2CO3). Lithium Americas
and Aquatech will work closely together to deliver the best
available technology incorporating environmental stewardship for
this flagship project.
In partnership with ICD Process Technologies, a division of
Aquatech, Lithium Americas has achieved over 99.9% purity of
Li2CO3 from Thacker Pass lithium-bearing
clays. For over two years, Lithium Americas and Aquatech have
worked jointly to conduct pilot work and demonstrate the complete
process line to produce high-purity Li2CO3 at
Aquatech's Applied Development and Testing Facility in Wisconsin and Lithium Americas' Technical
Development Center in Nevada. The
demonstration results will enable Lithium Americas to advance with
Phase 1 of the Thacker Pass facility producing 40,000 tpa
LCE.
"Starting construction is a momentous milestone for Thacker
Pass," said Jonathan Evans,
President and Chief Executive Officer at Lithium Americas. "We are
excited about the prospect of working with our partners to generate
economic growth in Northern Nevada
and play a major role in the domestic lithium supply chain for
electric vehicles."
Aquatech specializes in delivering innovative process technology
for the refining and purification of battery-grade lithium chemical
products from clays, brines, and hard rock. Aquatech has
state-of-the-art process development, validation and testing
capabilities, supporting the optimization and long-term
sustainability of lithium production to ensure the lowest carbon
and water footprint resulting in minimal environmental impact.
"Aquatech is fully committed to our partnership with Lithium
Americas and proud to be a part of the team working towards this
landmark achievement at Thacker Pass," said Venkee Sharma,
Aquatech's Executive Chairman. "Delivering innovative process
technology to enable critical mineral recovery from extraction to
high-purity products for electric vehicle battery production and
battery recycling is a top priority at Aquatech. Moving towards
energy decarbonization is a critical step to adapt to a changing
climate, and we are devoted to supporting industries in these
efforts."
Thacker Pass is expected to be one of the largest lithium
developments in the world, with the potential to produce over
80,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate per year. The project is a
key part of Lithium Americas' efforts to meet manufacturers'
increasing demand for battery quality lithium products for electric
vehicle batteries and contribute to the global transition to clean
energy.
ABOUT AQUATECH
Aquatech is a recognized global leader
in end-to-end process solutions to produce technical and battery
grades of lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide, and lithium salts.
Leveraging its experience and know-how, Aquatech offers holistic
solutions to produce critical mineral-based chemicals and salts for
EV batteries and from battery recycling, providing applied
development and testing with demonstration-scale process units to
engineering and design, project management and execution, through
post-installation operations and maintenance. Aquatech has
delivered over 2,000 facilities across 60 countries and helps the
world's most recognized companies reduce their water, carbon, and
environmental footprint, helping them achieve and sustain their
sustainability goals.
ABOUT LITHIUM AMERICAS
Lithium Americas is focused on
advancing lithium projects in Argentina and the
United States to production. In Argentina, Caucharí-Olaroz is advancing
towards production, and Pastos Grandes represents regional growth.
In the United States, Thacker Pass
has commenced construction and is targeting first production in the
second half of 2026. The Company trades on both the Toronto Stock
Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol
"LAC."
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aquatech-awarded-contract-for-lithium-refining-process-at-lithium-americas-thacker-pass-project-in-nevada-usa-301771571.html
SOURCE Aquatech