Grants awarded to LibertyStream and Wellspring Hydro for financing lithium refining facility development
LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners has completed the construction of a commercial lithium carbonate refining unit, which is now being shipped to their field operations in Texas. This unit, designed to produce both industrial-grade and battery-grade lithium carbonate, marks a critical step towards commercial production directly from oilfield brine using LibertyStream's proprietary direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology.
The refining unit's deployment in Texas is funded in part by a $700,000 grant facilitated through a partnership with Wellspring Hydro, drawing from Wellspring’s $10 million grant and loan facility backed by the state of North Dakota. The grant is awarded through a partnership with US-based water treatment and mining firm Wellspring Hydro.
LibertyStream and Wellspring Hydro anticipate further funding draws from the remaining $4.2 million available to support build-out of commercial DLE operations in North Dakota, aiming to bolster the domestic critical minerals supply chain in the United States. The project is backed by strategic financing from institutional investors and the state-supported grant partnership with Wellspring Hydro.
The refining unit, with a capacity to produce up to 10 tonnes per year of industrial-grade and battery-grade lithium carbonate, will provide future customers with the lithium carbonate they require for negotiations of future offtake agreements. Customers have expressed a need for bulk lithium carbonate samples to advance offtake discussions.
Alex Wylie, President and CEO of LibertyStream, stated that the continued support reflects confidence in their DLE technology. The statement also underscores the shared goal of strengthening the domestic supply chain for critical minerals. Wellspring was previously awarded $7.5 million in grant and loan funding from the North Dakota Industrial Commission.
Plans exist to relocate the refining unit to North Dakota upon completion of commercial DLE facility development in the Williston Basin. This move will support larger-scale DLE operations in the region, further contributing to the domestic supply of critical minerals.
[1] LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners Completes Construction of Lithium Carbonate Refining Unit [2] LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners Announces Strategic Partnership with Wellspring Hydro to Advance Direct Lithium Extraction Operations in North Dakota [3] LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners to Deploy Commercial-Scale Lithium Carbonate Refining Unit in Texas [4] LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners and Wellspring Hydro Secure $14.7 Million in Funding for Direct Lithium Extraction Operations in North Dakota [5] LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners and Wellspring Hydro Announce Plans to Expand Direct Lithium Extraction Operations in North Dakota
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