Arizona Lithium Limited (ASX: AZL, AZLOA, OTC: AZLAF), a leader in sustainable lithium development, is excited to share a pivotal update on its Pilot at the Prairie Lithium Project. Demonstrating remarkable progress, the Pilot has successfully processed over 80,000 liters of brine, yielding more than 6,000 liters of high-grade lithium concentrate.
This milestone, achieved at just one-third of the scheduled test duration, marks the completion of the tuning phase of testing. The Pilot has consistently maintained an impressive lithium extraction rate of 95.6% from an average feed concentration of 118 mg/L, with no instance of recovery dropping below 94%.
A significant breakthrough in the project is the steady-state rejection of impurities, achieving a remarkable 99.9% rate. This includes a substantial reduction in sodium concentration from 95,460 mg/L to a mere 61 mg/L in the lithium concentrate. This level of purity in the Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) concentrate is expected to significantly lower downstream processing and conversion costs.
As the testing progresses towards its conclusion in February, the focus will shift to producing lithium concentrate for downstream lithium chemical production. This phase will also involve establishing process capability indexes for lithium recovery and impurity rejection, crucial for the design and economic evaluation of the commercial-scale facility planned for 2025.
The Pilot's success thus far exceeds initial expectations and positions the Prairie Lithium Project as an economically robust venture. The preliminary feasibility study (PFS) is on track for completion by the end of December 2023, with early indications pointing towards a promising outcome.
The lithium concentrate produced during the pilot will be transported to AZL’s Lithium Research Centre in Tempe, Arizona. Here, it will undergo processing and conversion into approximately 100 kg of lithium carbonate or other lithium chemicals, utilizing AZL’s upcoming cross flow reverse osmosis (CFRO) and crystallization equipment, set for installation in Q1 2024.
Arizona Lithium Limited remains committed to advancing the sustainable development of its lithium projects, with the Big Sandy and Prairie Lithium Projects at the forefront of this endeavor. The company's progress at the Prairie Project is a testament to its dedication to innovation and environmental stewardship in the lithium industry.
Arizona Lithium Managing Director, Paul Lloyd, commented: “The pilot results continue to provide us with further confidence in the process and economics, which will be released in our upcoming PFS which will highlight the forecasted economics of production in 2025. This pilot is the final step prior to commercialization and the results of the pilot plant continue to exceed my expectations in terms of both the concentration of lithium and the impurity rejection. This is all good news as we look to sanction a commercial facility following the PFS”.
About us:
AZL’s Prairie Lithium Project is located in the Williston Basin of Saskatchewan, Canada. The Prairie Project resource is 5.7 MT of LCE, composed of 4.0 MT LCE Indicated and 1.7 MT LCE Inferred1. Located in one of the world’s top mining friendly jurisdictions, the projects have easy access to key infrastructure including electricity, natural gas, fresh water, paved highways and railroads. The projects also aim to have strong environmental credentials which should result in less use of freshwater, land and waste, aligning with AZL’s sustainable approach to lithium development.
Contact details:
Jane Morgan