ROCK
SPRINGS, Wyo., April 30,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Prime Lithium LLC ("Prime")
has entered into a strategic partnership with IBC Advanced
Technologies, Inc. ("IBC") to develop a large-scale battery-grade
lithium hydroxide and carbon storage project in Wyoming, U.S.A. utilizing IBC's
proprietary Direct Lithium to Product™ ("DLP™") process. The DLP™
process provides a rapid, direct route to produce environmentally
friendly battery-grade lithium end-products. The partnership aims
to initially produce 8,000 tonnes per annum lithium hydroxide with
plans to expand production to 35,000 tonnes per annum and to
geologically store large volumes of carbon dioxide while producing
clean water for the region.
Project Sweetwater (100% Prime)
seeks to deliver American domestically produced Lithium, in a
sustainable, environmentally responsible manner, which will add to
the overall value chain servicing the nation's electric vehicle,
devices, and grid energy storage sectors. What makes the
Sweetwater project unique is the
ability to cost effectively produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide
in a way that is both carbon neutral and generates clean water for
local use. Project Sweetwater
seeks to provide long term employment, incorporating strong
workforce training and development. Once completed, the
impact of the Sweetwater Project on Wyoming will be significant, with the
potential to make a real impact broadly across the nation.
Prime Lithium aims to develop Project Sweetwater to become
a leading critical mineral operation with unparalleled
environmental and social credentials. For every 1 kg of battery
grade lithium hydroxide produced, the project will create 22 tonnes
of carbon dioxide disposal and storage capacity and approximately
370,000 gallons of clean water, with minimal waste. Uniquely, the
project's lithium product will be supplied with attaching carbon
and water offsets, enabling manufacturers to provide battery
components that are carbon-neutral and water-neutral into their
products.
With an estimated 1.8 billion tonnes of brine mineral resource
and targeting over 5 billion tonnes of brine, the Project is
expected to be one of the largest lithium hydroxide production
centers in the world, as well as one of the largest carbon storage
projects globally. Importantly, the Project's innovative process
methodology can assist in alleviating pressure on the Colorado
River System so it can continue to serve as an economic artery of
the region, including powering massive hydroelectric dams required
for the energy transition. The Project has an initial clean water
resource of 4 billion gallons with scale to increase this strategic
resource to 558 billion gallons.
Uniquely, the multibillion-dollar project has already
well-established infrastructure including 'Direct to Market' rail
and interstate highway to all major battery plant centers and other
U.S. customers. With 'on lease' road, rail, gas, fuel, power,
communications and a Federal and State approved CO2
corridor, Project Sweetwater is near build ready, with production
trials scheduled for later this year.
The unparalleled market opportunity of the project is largely
made possible by the innovative DLP™ process which consumes
little to no water, is highly energy-efficient and has been
demonstrated at large pilot scale in Chile to directly
produce battery-grade (99.5%) lithium hydroxide with non-detectable
levels of magnetic and other impurities. Importantly, the process
does not require the need to first produce lithium carbonate
resulting in high yielding (99% overall recovery) operations.
Steven R. Izatt, President and CEO of IBC commented, "We
are very pleased to be partnering with Prime Lithium to bring to
market such an important Project for America, both in terms of its
environmental credentials and the strategic need for domestic
critical mineral supply. The highly water and energy efficient DLP™
process produces green lithium, which is critical to
sustainability. Application of the DLP™ process to Project
Sweetwater's North American brine resource will complement the
success we have achieved in South
America and further demonstrate the wide applicability of
the DLP™ process."
Tim McManus, Managing Director of Prime Lithium
commented, "Prime Lithium seeks to utilize a closed-loop,
modular production system to produce battery grade lithium and
clean water from a minimal operational footprint for the disposal
and storage of carbon. Such leadership in the
decarbonization of the critical mineral supply chain naturally
attracts Tier 1 partners such as IBC. Our strategic partnership
with IBC places Project Sweetwater at the forefront of the energy
transition and in the top echelon of climate action projects
globally. It is a significant step forward as we selectively
search for build capital partners to commence production as early
as 2026, particularly those who value large-scale,
long-term, and ethically sourced lithium supply."
Background of Prime Lithium
Prime Lithium LLC is focused on suppling low-cost critical
minerals solely for American industrial use through developing
Project Sweetwater, a next generation mining and energy project
located in Wyoming, U.S.A.
www.primelithium.llc
Background of IBC
IBC Advanced Technologies, Inc., an award-winning manufacturer
and supplier of highly selective separations products, engineered
systems and processes based on Molecular Recognition Technology™
(MRT™), including the transformative Direct Lithium to Product™
(DLP™) process for highly selective direct lithium extraction from
brine and direct production of battery-grade lithium end-products.
IBC recently created a lithium subsidiary, GreenLiT Pure Lithium,
Inc. to widely commercialize the DLP™ process and sustainably
meet the booming demand for battery-grade lithium end-products in a
highly water and energy efficient manner with minimal environmental
impact.
www.greenlitpurelithium.com
www.ibcmrt.com
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SOURCE Prime Lithium