E3 Lithium, a Canadian leader in lithium development, has officially begun commissioning Phase 1 of its Clearwater Project Demonstration facility, marking a major milestone in advancing lithium production in Alberta.

Phase 1 of the facility focuses on operationalizing the 30-column Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) system alongside polishing and purification equipment designed to produce high-quality lithium chloride. This critical output will serve as the foundation for battery-grade lithium carbonate, a material essential to global electrification and energy transition efforts.

Following the completion of final testing and reviews, brine was successfully introduced into the DLE system over the past weekend. The commissioning of the system is expected to take about one week, after which the purification units will be brought online. Once both systems are fully commissioned, the facility will transition into continuous operations, demonstrating the ability to produce high-purity lithium chloride at scale.

With sufficient brine secured to operate Phase 1 well into early Q4 2025, E3 Lithium will continue to provide updates as operations advance and results become available.

“The commissioning of Phase 1 demonstrates that our systems are in working order and represents an exciting step forward in the development of this facility,” said Chris Doornbos, President and CEO of E3 Lithium. “The outcomes from this phase will validate our process, optimize performance, and set the stage for Phase 2 of the Demonstration Facility, which is scheduled to begin later this fall.”