Distributed on behalf of E3 Lithium
With an incessant need for lithium, the world must have access to far more supply, which is creating big opportunity for related stocks, such as E3 Lithium Ltd. (TSXV: ETL) (OTCQX: EEMMF), Albemarle (NYSE: ALB), Lithium Americas (NYSE: LAC) (TSX: LAC), Sigma Lithium (NASDAQ: SGML) (TSXV: SGML), and Standard Lithium (NYSE: SLI) (TSXV: SLI).
The problem is, the world is quickly nearing severe supply shortages, as noted by Wood Mackenzie’s latest Energy Transition Outlook for Lithium. In fact, as noted in that report, “The lithium market is heading into a supply crunch much sooner than many industry players expect. Under ambitious climate scenarios, we see deficits emerging from 2028. The industry needs to act now, as governments progress policies toward Net Zero.”
The good news is companies are racing to bring more supply online. E3 Lithium, for example, just received support from the Natural Resources Canada’s Global Partnerships Initiative to accelerate the development of its Clearwater Project. That project, according to E3, is expected to produce 12,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year as part of stage 1, and ramping up to 36,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year.
E3 Lithium Ltd. (TSXV: ETL) (OTCQX: EEMMF) Just Executed Contribution Agreement Underpinning up to $36.5 million in Federal Support to Accelerate Clearwater Project
E3 Lithium, a leader in Canadian lithium development, announces that all conditions associated with the previously announced federal government funding have now been met. The Company has executed the contribution agreement confirming up to $36,507,091 of non-repayable funding through Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)’s Global Partnerships Initiative to accelerate the development of its Clearwater Project.
As previously announced on March 2, 2026, the Funding will support 75% of the approximately $48 million project, including E3’s project staff, to complete the final Phase 3 of the Demonstration Facility and the Clearwater Project Feasibility Study. The Funding is retro-active to April 1, 2026, and the Company can claim eligible expenses from the start of the second quarter. This support through the GPI will enable E3 to accelerate the development of its Clearwater Project at a critical juncture as the Company looks to complete major technical deliverables for Stage 1 of commercial operations.
“Canada is building strong domestic critical minerals value chains, and that means investing at the stages that matter most in getting projects over the line. Through the Global Partnerships Initiative, we are supporting the engineering, demonstration and feasibility work needed for E3 Lithium’s Clearwater Project to reach final investment decision. This is how we move faster, reduce risk and ensure sustainable, sovereign Canadian lithium can power our economy at home and supply our allies abroad,” said the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.
“E3 began ramping up the aspects of this project beginning in April this year, upon conditional approval of the funding,” commented Chris Doornbos, CEO & Chair of E3 Lithium. “With the execution of the contribution agreement, E3 is now fully executing towards some of the biggest technical milestones we have in front of us, aiming to significantly derisk our Clearwater Project ahead of the final investment decision. We appreciate the Government of Canada’s support in advancing a domestic lithium supply chain and strengthening Canada’s position in the global critical minerals market.”
The Funding provided through the GPI will also support 75% of the costs of the Company’s current technical team, as well as the commitment to hire up to an additional 25 new technical staff and operators.
The two key project-based components supported by the Funding include:
1. Completion of the Demonstration Facility Phase 3
With the execution of the contribution agreement, E3 has commenced equipment orders required to complete the third and final phase of the Demonstration Facility. Phase 3 includes operation of the previously commissioned 30-column Direct Lithium Extraction (“DLE”) and purification/carbonation skids along with the construction and operation of a commercial size, single DLE column (the “Single Commercial Column”). Phase 3 of the Demonstration Facility will enable the operation of E3’s DLE process at full commercial scale, further validating process performance, reliability, and scalability of the technology. In addition, the Company expects to have increased production volumes of battery-grade lithium carbonate, which will enable E3 to continue progressing product qualification with offtake partners and evaluate commercial battery supply chain value opportunities. The successful completion of Phase 3 of the Demonstration Facility is a major derisking milestone for the Company and will be a critical component in the evaluation of the Clearwater Project by potential strategic and offtake partners, project financers, and any potential additional government support.
E3’s goals for Phase 3 of the Demonstration Facility include:
· Construction of Phase 3, the Single Commercial Column, through second half of 2026 with ongoing operations throughout the year
· Demonstrating lithium recovery of greater than 85% through the Single Commercial Column, a milestone that supports project economics
· Production of the lithium chloride at an equivalent rate of up to 100 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year
· Continual validation of product quality by pre-qualifying the lithium chloride and/or lithium carbonate to potential customers at an increased scale
2. Completion of the Feasibility Study
The GPI funding will support E3’s completion of the Clearwater Project Feasibility Study, targeting 12,000 tonnes per year of battery-grade lithium carbonate in Stage 1. The internal and external engineering deliverables will be directly supported through the GPI funding. The engineering scope will include the final designs for the reservoir development, gas-handling system, lithium extraction and purification, and lithium carbonatation. While Phase 3 of the Demonstration Facility aims to support process validation and readiness for project financing, the Feasibility Study and related engineering represent the Company’s final major technical milestones prior to detailed engineering and advancement toward a Final Investment Decision.
E3’s goals for the Feasibility Study and related engineering include:
· Completion of Front-End Engineering Design (“FEED”) of the Clearwater Stage 1
· Completion of the Feasibility Study and Class III cost estimate, aiming for Q1 2027
· Readiness to begin ordering long-lead equipment for the commercial facility
The Company has retained Sedgman, a CIMIC Group Company and globally recognized engineering firm, to lead the FEED for the Clearwater Project. Sedgman’s expertise in process plant design and project execution is expected to support advancement of the Clearwater Project toward final engineering, cost estimation, and FID. Sedgman is currently involved in the engineering and delivery of other advanced lithium processing facilities incorporating DLE technologies, including projects progressing toward commercial-scale implementation.
Other related developments from around the markets include:
Albemarle, a global leader in providing essential elements for mobility, energy, connectivity and health, announced its results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. "Albemarle had a strong start to 2026, with net sales and adjusted EBITDA up year over year. Higher pricing and volumes in Energy Storage and Specialties, along with continued cost and productivity actions, were the key contributors to our results," said Kent Masters, Chairman and CEO. "We also took advantage of our successful cash and portfolio management actions to pay down debt in the quarter, further strengthening our balance sheet and financial flexibility. As the global operating environment remains uncertain, we are focused on the things within our control, including operational excellence, cost and productivity discipline, and cash generation, to enable long-term volume and earnings growth."
Lithium Americas’ President and Chief Executive Officer of Lithium Americas, Jonathan Evans, said, “Construction at Thacker Pass is accelerating toward mechanical completion in late 2027. There are now over 1,300 workers on site as of mid-May and over 2,000 expected at peak construction. In 2025, we emphasized de-risking project execution and made strategic decisions that have enabled us to focus on execution in 2026 – detailed engineering is almost complete, finances have been secured and global supply chain challenges are being well managed At a moment when resilient domestic supply chains are more critical than ever, lithium stands out as a strategic resource underpinning both national security and a reliable energy future. We are grateful for the strong partnerships and support from leaders at the federal and state levels. Recent visits to Thacker Pass by U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo and the U.S. Department of Energy, underscore a shared commitment to strengthening American supply chains, advancing energy independence and creating meaningful American jobs.”
Sigma Lithium, the largest producer of lithium oxide concentrate in the Americas¹ and dedicated to industrializing socially and environmentally sustainable lithium materials to supply global producers of batteries for energy security, demonstrated the Company’s excellence in environmental performance in a filing with one year of data collected by external experts with measurements demonstrating low levels of dust, vibrations and noise generated by its operations. The solid data series externally collected by experts provides transparent, objective evidence of Sigma Lithium’s environmental track record and directly refutes baseless and unproven claims against the Company made in local Brazilian courts, currently under appeal within jurisdiction of rule of law at the State Courts in Minas Gerais (Tribunal de Justiça de Minas Gerais). The data points are below the stringent legal limits in Brazil, as well as the established standards of the Brazilian Technical Standards Association and Brazil’s National Environmental Council.
Smackover Lithium, a partnership between Standard Lithium Ltd. and Equinor, through subsidiaries of Equinor ASA, announced that it has entered into an engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning agreement with S&B Engineers and Constructors for the Central Processing Facility for the South West Arkansas Project. S&B is an integrated EPC company with proven industrial construction expertise and a strong U.S. and regional presence. S&B will be supported by Hatch Ltd. (“Hatch”), a global engineering, project delivery and professional services firm with extensive experience in mineral resource projects, and specific experience designing and commissioning lithium projects. Hatch will provide design engineering and commissioning support to S&B as a subcontractor. S&B will deliver EPCC services including detailed engineering design, procurement, installation and construction, testing, startup and commissioning for the CPF. This includes receipt of brine (from wellfield), pre-treatment, direct lithium extraction, purification and concentration of the lithium chloride, conversion to a battery-quality lithium carbonate with final product crystallization, drying, micronizing, bagging and handling facilities, and all associated utilities. The CPF will be located on the Project’s 118-acre plot located in Lafayette County, AR.
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