Lilac Announces Successful Completion of Lithium Pilot Operations on the Great Salt Lake, Utah

Published: Oct 7, 2025 07:00

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Lilac Solutions announced the successful completion of its lithium extraction pilot project on Utah’s Great Salt Lake, marking a key step toward building a commercial production facility at the site. The pilot achieved an average lithium recovery rate of 87% from brine with a lithium concentration of 69 mg/L (exceeding the design target of 84%) and an impurity rejection rate of 99.97%, demonstrating that Lilac’s ion-exchange DLE technology can economically and efficiently extract lithium from complex brines while protecting the lake’s ecosystem. The seven-month pilot processed more than one million gallons of brine and operated year-round without the need for heating or cooling. Third-party testing confirmed compliance with all discharge and operating permits. Lithium-depleted brine was reinjected into the lake, maintaining water levels, while avoiding the use of evaporation ponds. The process also requires significantly less land and freshwater than competing technologies. The pilot results will support FEL-3 engineering for the commercial plant as well as related permitting applications. Lithium eluate produced during the pilot was used to make battery-grade lithium carbonate samples for downstream testing. The first phase of the commercial facility is planned to produce 5,000 tonnes per year of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) — doubling current U.S. lithium production — with future expansion to 20,000 tonnes per year. First production is expected in 2027.

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