Investment accounts
Adult accounts
Child accounts
Choosing Fidelity
Choosing Fidelity
Why invest with us Current offers Fees and charges Open an account Transfer investments
Financial advice & support
Fidelity’s Services
Fidelity’s Services
Financial advice Retirement Wealth Management Investor Centre (London) Bereavement
Guidance and tools
Guidance and tools
Choosing investments Choosing accounts ISA calculator Retirement calculators
Share dealing
Choose your shares
Tools and information
Tools and information
Share prices and markets Chart and compare shares Stock market news Shareholder perks IPOs and placings
Pensions & retirement
Pensions, tax & tools
Saving for retirement
Approaching / In retirement
Approaching / In retirement
Speak to a specialist Creating a retirement plan Taking tax-free cash Pension drawdown Annuities Investing in retirement Investment Pathways
CleanTech pilot plant starts operations in Chile
(Sharecast News) - CleanTech Lithium announced the start of operations at its pilot plant on Wednesday, marking a significant milestone in its advancement of lithium projects in Chile. The AIM-traded firm said the pilot plant, dedicated to the direct lithium extraction (DLE) process, had successfully completed its commissioning phase and was now in operation.
Key highlights included the extraction of lithium chloride eluate from brine sourced from the Laguna Verde project.
That eluate was produced through a process where lithium chloride was extracted onto adsorbents within DLE columns, followed by desorption with water to create purified lithium chloride eluate.
Notably, the pilot plant achieved its first production of eluate within the past week.
CleanTech said it boasted a design capacity of one tonne of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) per month, as concentrated eluate.
That concentrated eluate would undergo further processing through a reverse osmosis unit to enhance its concentration before being shipped to North America for conversion into battery-grade lithium carbonate.
CleanTech Lithium said it was strategically determining the volume of each batch based on end-user requirements and conversion cost considerations.
The company had enlisted Conductive Energy for the conversion process, using standard industry processing steps.
Beyond production, the pilot plant served as a platform for process optimisation and product verification.
Its operation was integral to the ongoing pre-feasibility study for the project, providing crucial data and insights.
"I am very pleased to inform the market that our pilot plant has commenced operation with the first volume of lithium chloride eluate produced," said chief executive officer Aldo Boitano.
"Batches of concentrated eluate will be shipped to North America to be converted into battery grade lithium carbonate by a third-party processor."
Boitano said the pilot plant planned to produce significant quantities of battery grade product for evaluation by potential strategic partners, making CTL "one of the few companies in the sector" to produce pilot scale volumes of battery grade product.
"The pilot plant positions CTL as a leader in the sector and in Chile, with first eluate production representing a significant milestone for the company."
At 1032 GMT, shares in CleanTech Lithium were up 2.48% at 15.5p.
Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.
Share this article
Related Sharecast Articles
Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.
Award-winning online share dealing
Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.
Expert insights into investing your money
Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.
Policies and important information
Accessibility | Conflicts of interest statement | Consumer Duty Target Market | Consumer Duty Value Assessment Statement | Cookie policy | Diversity and Inclusion | Doing Business with Fidelity | Fidelity gender pay report | Investing in Fidelity funds | Legal information | Modern slavery | Mutual respect policy | Privacy statement | Remuneration policy | Security | Statutory and Regulatory disclosures | Whistleblowing policy
Please remember that past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance, the performance of investments is not guaranteed, and the value of your investments can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. When investments have particular tax features, these will depend on your personal circumstances and tax rules may change in the future. This website does not contain any personal recommendations for a particular course of action, service or product. You should regularly review your investment objectives and choices and, if you are unsure whether an investment is suitable for you, you should contact an authorised financial adviser. Before opening an account, please read the ‘Doing Business with Fidelity’ document which incorporates our client terms. Prior to investing into a fund, please read the relevant key information document which contains important information about the fund.
This website is issued by Financial Administration Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (FCA Register number 122169) and registered in England and Wales under company number 1629709 whose registered address is Beech Gate, Millfield Lane, Lower Kingswood, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 6RP.
