Robert Mintak
A Canadian company’s plan to mine battery-grade lithium from the salty waters beneath south Arkansas took physical shape this month as Standard Lithium Ltd. of Vancouver broke ground on a demonstration plant near El Dorado.
“We’re able to point to this and say its real,” CEO Robert Mintak told Arkansas Business in a telephone interview, noting that it will be the first new lithium production facility in the United States in five decades. “Now we’re getting to the exciting part.”
The test plant, built and tested in Canada and scheduled to be shipped in modules by rail in the next few weeks, will be assembled at an existing plant operated by Standard Lithium’s multinational partner in the south Arkansas experiment, Lanxess Corp. of Cologne, Germany. Lanxess already has vast brine operations in the El Dorado area, home to a bromine extraction industry for more than a half-century.
South Arkansas was the only place in the world fit for Standard Lithium’s unique plan to pull lithium from subterranean brine, with an existing infrastructure and business-friendly economic development approach. By using that existing infrastructure, Standard says it will be the most environmentally friendly supplier for lithium battery makers.
Standard’s process will selectively extract lithium from brine that is a by-product of the Lanxess’ existing bromine operation.
Milam Construction of El Dorado is general contractor for the pilot plant site, said Ross Lewis, Standard Lithium’s senior site manager.
“The site itself is about an acre,” Lewis said. “The main pilot plant for lithium recovery will be 80 feet by 80 feet, and there will be paving around it and an office control room, basically a double-wide 24 by 28 feet.”
An onsite lab trailer will be 8 by 40 feet.
The site is being leveled and graded to prepare for foundations and concrete slabs needed to house the industrial-scale demonstration plant. The on-site work is being managed by Hunt Guillot & Associates LLC of Ruston, Louisiana, which completed all the civil engineering and utility connection work. HGA will also supervise installing and connecting the modular demonstration plant.
Standard Lithium has hired Bruce Seitz as plant manager, and a news release from the company said he will also oversee “all enabling and installation works.” The company expects the pilot plant to be operating by October. The company noted that the market for lithium is growing with the adoption of renewable energy and storage, as well as electric cars, and that lithium is included on the U.S. list of minerals critical to national security.
“Breaking ground at our El Dorado site represents a major achievement,” Mintak said, noting lithium’s rising profile in national security discussions. “We anticipate our project and progress will be keenly watched as lithium has taken on significant political interest with the White House 2017 executive order and subsequent pending legislation aimed to boost domestic supplies of critical minerals.”
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