The announcement follows the recently completed scoping study at the Francisco Basin project. The company said the study confirmed the economics and the potential for future resource expansion.
The Francisco Basin project will implement a direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology that CleanTech believes will allow for the annual production of 20,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate for 12 years.
"The next step at the project is to complete further resource drilling with the aim to expand and upgrade the current JORC resource estimate of 0.92 million tonnes LCE; an increase in the resource provides the potential to extend the production period of 12 years assumed in the study," said Aldo Boitano, chief executive at CleanTech Lithium.
The executive also noted that DLE test work on project brines continues. Additionally, a pilot plant is in the assembly process at the company's facility in Copiapó.
After the resource drill programme, CleanTech plans to initiate a prefeasibility study with an anticipated completion date during the second half of 2024.
