E3 Metals awarded Alberta Innovates grant

E3 Metals Corp. received a $1.8 million grant from Alberta Innovates that will assist in funding a pilot plant.

The company has developed a proprietary direct lithium extraction (DLE); a technology that connects conventional oilfield and lithium processing, unlocking Alberta’s previously untapped lithium resources.

“We greatly appreciate the continued support from Alberta Innovates,” said Chris Doornbos, CEO, E3 Metals Corp. “The $1.8 million being contributed toward the pilot plant development work ongoing here in our facility in Calgary, and eventually on the project site in Alberta. This will greatly assist in laying the foundation for commercial lithium production in Alberta.”

The funding will help demonstrate the DLE technology by scaling it up from the lab prototype to a field pilot. The first step will be a prototype operating within E3 Metals’ Calgary lab, and then a field pilot operating continuously on a site within E3 Metals’ resource area in Alberta.

The company plans to de-risk its Alberta lithium project prior to scaling up to the anticipated commercial scale of 20,000 tonnes/year lithium hydroxide monohydrate.

“We believe Alberta has the prime opportunity to be at the forefront of global mineral exploration and development because of our wealth of natural resources and experience as a global leader in responsible development,” said Sonya Savage, Minister, Energy. “This E3 Metals pilot project is a great demonstration of the kind of potential that exists, and is another example of Alberta ingenuity in action.”