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CleanTech Lithium (AIM:CTL,FWB:T2N,OTC:CTLHF)) envisions being the greenest lithium supplier to the electric vehicle (EV) market by using direct lithium extraction (DLE) - a low-impact, low-carbon and low-water method of extracting lithium from brine – powered by renewable energy sources. The company has three large lithium assets with an estimated two million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in Chile’s Lithium Triangle, a world-renowned mining-friendly jurisdiction.
The company’s assets are all located in Chile and amenable to eco-friendly development. Laguna Verde, CleanTech’s flagship asset, is poised for near-term green lithium production by the end of 2025 with a resource estimate of 1.5 million tonnes of LCE. The company’s second flagship asset is Francisco Basin, approximately 100 km south of Laguna Verde. JORC-compliant inferred resource estimated 0.5 million tonnes of LCE. Both projects are 4,200+ meters above sea level, meaning there is minimal risk to biodiversity and impact on local communities. The company's third asset is the Llamara Project, a green-fields project located in the Antofagasta region and is around 600 km north of Laguna Verde and Francisco Basin. The area totalling 344 square kilometers located in the Pampa del Tamarugal basin, which is one of the largest basins in the lithium triangle.
CleanTech Lithium is committed to an ESG-led approach and supporting its downstream partners by producing the greenest lithium to the market. As a result, the company will use renewable energy and the eco-friendly direct lithium extraction (DLE) process throughout its projects. DLE is widely considered the best option for lithium brine extraction that makes the least environmental impact. No evaporation ponds, no carbon intensive processes and reduced levels of water consumption. In recognition, Chile’s government plans to prioritize DLE for all new lithium projects.
Company Highlights
- CleanTech Lithium is an exploration and development company with three notable lithium projects in Chile, totaling >500km2 licensed areas and lithium resources exceeding 2 million tonnes LCE
- The company aims to become the greenest lithium supplier to the EV market by adopting environmental and social sound practices throughout its assets and culture.
- Chile is quickly becoming a global leader in clean energy, which enables the company to take advantage of the existing renewable power throughout its operations
- The company will use DLE, a proven* method for extracting lithium brine that minimizes environmental impact and reduces production time, resulting in high quality battery grade lithium
- CleanTech Lithium’s flagship projects Laguna Verde and Francisco Basin are located nearby reliable renewable power sources and transport infrastructure that can support the scalability of each project.
- The company’s third highly prospective asset, Llamara, is undergoing exploration and represents blue-sky opportunities for additional lithium discoveries.
- This is being led by an experienced management team with the right blend of expertise leads the company towards its goals of supplying the growing EV market with eco-friendly lithium,
- Underpinned by an established ESG-led approach - a critical priority for governments introducing regulations that require a cleaner supply chain to reach net-zero targets.
- DLE plants operating successfully in Argentina and China
This CleanTech Lithium profile is part of a paid investor education campaign.*
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CleanTech Lithium
Investor Insight
Executing a well-defined project development strategy for its lithium assets and advancing Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE), CleanTech Lithium is poised to become a key player in an expanding batteries market.
Overview
CleanTech Lithium (AIM:CTL,FWB:T2N) is a resource exploration and development company with four lithium assets with an estimated 2.72 million tons (Mt) of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in Chile, a world-renowned mining-friendly jurisdiction. The company aims to be a leading supplier of ‘green lithium’ to the electric vehicle (EV) market, leveraging direct lithium extraction (DLE) – a low-impact, low-carbon and low-water method of extracting lithium from brine.
Lithium demand is soaring as a result of a rapidly expanding EV market. One study estimates the world needs 2 billion EVs on the road to meet global net-zero goals. Yet, the gap between supply and demand continues to widen. As the world races to secure new supplies of critical minerals, Chile has emerged as an ideal investment jurisdiction with mining-friendly regulations and a skilled local workforce to drive towards a clean green economy. Chile is already the biggest supplier of copper and second largest supplier of lithium.
With an experienced team in natural resources, CleanTech Lithium holds itself accountable to a responsible ESG-led approach, a critical advantage for governments and major car manufacturers looking to secure a cleaner supply chain.
Laguna Verde is at pre-feasibility study stage targeted to be in ramp-up production from 2027. Laguna Verde has a JORC resource estimate of 1.8 Mt of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) while Viento Andino boasts 0.92 Mt LCE, each supporting 20,000 tons per annum (tpa) production with a 30-year and 12-year mine life, respectively. The latest drilling programme at Laguna Verde finished in June 2024, results from which will be used to convert resources into reserves.
The lead project, Laguna Verde, will be developed first, after which Veinto Andino will follow suit using the design and experience gained from Laguna Verde, as the company works towards its goal of becoming a significant green lithium producer serving the EV market.
The company is carrying out the necessary environmental impact assessments in partnership with the local communities. The indigenous communities will provide valuable data that will be included in the assessments. The Company has signed agreements with the three of core communities to support the project development.
DLE Pilot Plant Inauguration event held in May 2024 with local stakeholders and indigenous communities in attendance
The company also has two prospective exploration assets - the Llamara project and Salar de Atacama/Arenas Blancas project. Llamara project is a greenfield asset in the Antofagasta region and is around 600 kilometers north of Laguna Verde and Veinto Andino. The project is located in the Pampa del Tamarugal basin, one of the largest basins in the Lithium Triangle.
Salar de Atacama/Arenas Blancas comprises 140 licenses covering 377 sq km in the Salar de Atacama basin, one of the leading lithium-producing regions in the world with proven mineable deposits of 9.2 Mt.
CleanTech Lithium is committed to an ESG-led approach to its strategy and supporting its downstream partners looking to secure a cleaner supply chain. In line with this, the company plans to use renewable energy and the eco-friendly DLE process across its projects. DLE is considered an efficient option for lithium brine extraction that makes the least environmental impact, with no use of evaporation ponds, no carbon-intensive processes and reduced levels of water consumption. In recognition, Chile’s government plans to prioritize DLE for all new lithium projects in the country.
CleanTech Lithium’s pilot DLE plant in Copiapó was commissioned in the first quarter of 2024. To date, the company has completed the first stage of production from the DLE pilot plant producing an initial volume of 88 cubic metres of concentrated eluate – the lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) of approximately one tonne over an operating period of 384 hours with 14 cycles. Results show the DLE adsorbent achieved a lithium recovery rate of approximately 95 percent from the brine, with total recovery (adsorption plus desorption) achieving approximately 88 percent. The Company’s downstream conversion process is successfully producing pilot-scale samples of lithium carbonate . As of January 2025, the Company is producing lithium carbonate from Laguna Verde concentrated eluate at the downstream pilot plant - recently proven to be high purity (99.78 percent). Click for highlights video.
CTL’s experienced management team, with expertise throughout the natural resources industry, leads the company toward its goal of producing green lithium for the EV market. Expertise includes geology, lithium extraction engineering and corporate administration.
Company Highlights
- CleanTech Lithium is a lithium exploration and development company with four notable lithium projects in Chile and a combined total resource of 2.72 million tonnes JORC estimate of lithium carbonate equivalent.
- Chile is one of the biggest producers of lithium carbonate in the world and the Chilean Government has prioritized innovative technologies such as DLE for new project development
- The Company leverages DLE, an efficient method for extracting lithium brine that aims to minimize environmental impact, reduce production time and costs, resulting in high-purity, battery-grade lithium carbonate
- The Company is targeting a dual-listing on the ASX in Q1 2025.
- CleanTech Lithium’s flagship project, Laguna Verde is at the Pre-Feasibility Stage, once completed, the Company looks to start substantive conversations with strategic partners.
- The Company has an operational DLE pilot plant in Copiapó, Chile producing an initial volume of 88 cubic meters of concentrated eluate, which is the lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) of approx. one tonne, proving the Company’s capacity to produce battery-grade lithium with low impurities from its Laguna Verde brine project.
- In January 2025, the Company announced to the market the production of high purity lithium carbonate (99.78%)
- The Board consists of the former CEO of Collahuasi, the largest copper mine in the world, having held senior roles at Rio Tinto and BHP. In-country experience developing major commercial projects runs throughout the team.
- CleanTech Lithium’s operations are underpinned by an established ESG-focused approach - a critical priority for governments introducing regulations that require a cleaner supply chain to reach net-zero targets.
Key Projects
Laguna Verde Lithium Project
The 217 sq km Laguna Verde project features a sq km hypersaline lake at the low point of the basin with a large sub-surface aquifer ideal for DLE. Laguna Verde is the company’s most advanced asset.
Project Highlights:
- Prolific JORC-compliant Resource Estimate: As of July 2023, the asset has a JORC-compliant resource estimate of 1.8 Mt of LCE at a grade of 200 mg/L lithium.
- Environmentally Friendly Extraction: The company’s asset is amenable to DLE. Instead of sending lithium brine to evaporation ponds, DLE uses a unique process where resin extracts lithium from brine, and then re-injects the brine back into the aquifer, with minimal depletion of the resources. The DLE process reduces the impact on environment, water consumption levels and production time compared with evaporation ponds and hard-rock mining methods.
- DLE Pilot Plant: The pilot DLE plant in Copiapó, commissioned in the first quarter of 2024, has produced an initial volume of 88 cubic metres of concentrated eluate, which is the lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) of approximately one tonne further confirming the company’s capacity to produce battery-grade lithium with low impurities from its Laguna Verde brine project.
- Scoping Study: Scoping study completed in January 2023 indicated a production of 20,000 tons per annum LCE and an operational life of 30 years. Highlights of the study also includes:
- Total revenues of US$6.3 billion
- IRR of 45.1 percent and post-tax NPV8 of US$1.8 billion
- Net cash flow of US$215 million
Viento Andino Lithium Project
CleanTech Lithium’s second-most advanced asset covers 127 square kilometers and is located within 100 km of Laguna Verde, with a current resource estimate of 0.92 Mt of LCE, including an indicated resource of 0.44 Mt LCE. The company’s planned second drill campaign aims to extend known deposits further.
Project Highlights:
- 2022 Lithium Discovery: Recently completed brine samples from the initial drill campaign indicate an average lithium grade of 305 mg/L.
- JORC-compliant Estimate: The inferred resource estimate was recently upgraded from 0.5 Mt to 0.92 Mt of LCE at an average grade of 207 mg/L lithium, which now includes 0.44 million tonnes at an average grade of 221 mg/L lithium in the indicated category.
- Scoping Study: A scoping study was completed in September 2023 indicating a production of up to 20,000 tons per annum LCE for an operational life of more than 12 years. Other highlights include:
- Net revenues of US$2.5 billion
- IRR of 43.5 percent and post-tax NPV 8 of US$1.1 billion
- Additional Drilling: Once drilling at Laguna Verde is completed in 2024, CleanTech Lithium plans to commence further drilling at Viento Andino for a potential resource upgrade.
Llamara Lithium Project
The Llamara project is one of the largest greenfield basins in the Lithium Triangle, covering 605 square kilometers in the Pampa del Tamarugal, one of the largest basins in the Lithium Triangle. Historical exploration results indicate blue-sky potential, prompting the company to pursue additional exploration.
Project Highlights:
- Promising Historical Exploration: The asset has never been drilled; however, salt crust surface samples indicate up to 3,100 parts per million lithium. Additionally, historical geophysics lines indicate a large hypersaline aquifer. Both of these exploration results indicate potential for significant future discoveries.
- Close Proximity to Existing Operations: The Llamara project is near other known deposits:
Arenas Blancas
The project comprises 140 licences covering 377 sq km in the Salar de Atacama basin, a known lithium region with proven mineable deposits of 9.2 Mt and home to two of the world’s leading battery-grade lithium producers SQM and Albermarle. Following the granting of the exploration licences in 2024, the Cleantech Lithium is designing a work programme for the project
The Board
Steve Kesler - Executive Chairman
Steve Kesler has 45 years of executive and board roles experience in the mining sector across all major capital markets including AIM. Direct lithium experience as CEO/director of European Lithium and Chile experience with Escondida and as the first CEO of Collahuasi, previously held senior roles at Rio Tinto and BHP.
Ignacio Mehech – CEO and Director
Ignacio Mehech brings over a decade of senior leadership experience in the lithium and mining sectors. During his seven-year tenure at Albemarle—the world’s largest producer of battery-grade lithium—he spent the last three years as Country Manager in Chile, overseeing a workforce of 1,100 and managing critical relationships with government, indigenous communities, and other key stakeholders. Mehech brings deep expertise in lithium project development, regulatory engagement, and sustainability. He has led high-profile engagements with global investors, customers, NGOs, analysts, scientists, and international governments. He also played a key leadership role in the El Abra copper operation—a joint venture between Codelco and Freeport-McMoRan—where he led the legal strategy and contributed to corporate transformation initiatives. Mehech holds a law degree from the Universidad de Chile and a Master’s in Energy and Resources Law from the University of Melbourne.
Gordon Stein - Chief Financial Officer
Gordon Stein is a commercial CFO with over 30 years of expertise in the energy, natural resources and other sectors in both executive and non-executive director roles. As a chartered accountant, he has worked with start-ups to major companies, including board roles of six LSE companies.
Maha Daoudi - Independent Non-executive Director
Maha Daoudi has more than 20 years of experience holding several Board and senior-level positions across commodities, energy transition, finance and tech-related industries, including a senior role with leading commodity trader, Trafigura. Daoudi holds expertise in offtake agreements, developing international alliances and forming strategic partnerships.
Tommy McKeith - Independent Non-executive Director
Tommy McKeith is an experienced public company director and geologist with over 30 years of mining company leadership, corporate development, project development and exploration experience. He's held roles in an international mining company and across several ASX-listed mining companies. McKeith currently serves as non-executive director of Evolution Mining and as non-executive chairman of Arrow Minerals. Having worked in bulk, base and precious metals across numerous jurisdictions, including operations in Canada, Africa, South America and Australia, McKeith brings strategic insights to CTL with a strong focus on value creation.
Jonathan Morley-Kirk - Senior Independent Non-executive Director
Jonathan Morley-Kirk brings 30 years of experience, including 17 years in non-executive director roles with expertise in financial controls, audit, remuneration, capital raisings and taxation/structuring.
Premium lithium projects located in established mining districts to meet battery and EV demand
Lithium Americas and GM Advance Thacker Pass with Landmark Federal Funding
The DOE also agreed to defer US$182 million of debt service over the first five years of the loan, while Lithium Americas will post an additional US$120 million into reserve accounts within a year of the funds being drawn.
Located about 25 miles south of the Oregon border, Thacker Pass has been cast as central to Washington’s push to cut reliance on Chinese-controlled processing and narrow the gap with global lithium producers in Australia and Chile.
Phase 1 of the project is designed to produce 40,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate annually — enough to support roughly 800,000 electric vehicles. At present, US domestic lithium output is negligible, limited to Albemarle's (NYSE:ALB) Silver Peak operation in Nevada, which produces fewer than 5,000 metric tons a year.
By comparison, China processes more than three-quarters of the world’s raw lithium into battery-grade material.
Washington’s share finalized
The DOE stake comes after weeks of speculation over the size of Washington’s equity interest.
In late September, sources familiar with the matter said Trump administration officials had pressed for up to 10 percent, with Lithium Americas countering by offering no-cost warrants for 5 to 10 percent of its shares.
The final agreement settled at the low end of that range. The warrants issued to DOE will allow the department to appoint an observer to the joint venture’s board meetings for as long as it retains its economic stake.
If exercised in full, the ownership structure of Thacker Pass will be 59 percent Lithium Americas, 36 percent GM and 5 percent DOE. Voting control will remain split 62 percent to Lithium Americas and 38 percent to GM.
“We greatly appreciate the support of the Administration, General Motors and our partners in advancing this vital world-class project,” said Jonathan Evans, president and CEO of Lithium Americas.
“Together, we are onshoring large-scale US lithium production, strengthening America’s supply chain, creating exceptional jobs and enhancing our long-term energy security and prosperity”
For Washington, the agreement marks the latest in a series of moves by the Trump administration to take minority positions in companies deemed critical to US industrial and national security interests.
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a statement that the Thacker Pass deal “helps reduce the country’s dependence on foreign adversaries for critical minerals by strengthening domestic supply chains.”
Shares of Lithium Americas surged more than 30 percent in pre-market trading on Wednesday following the announcement, extending a rally that began last month when reports of a potential federal equity stake first surfaced.
Lithium Americas performance, September 2 to October 1, 2025.
Chart via Google Finance.
The stock spiked more than 90 percent in late September after Reuters reported on the Trump administration’s push for ownership, jumping from about US$3 to over US$6.
Construction at Thacker Pass is already underway, with more than 600 contractors on site. The mine and processing plant are expected to reach full commercial output in 2028.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Lithium Americas Shares Spike as Trump Admin Seeks Equity Stake
The request marks the latest instance of the Trump administration intervening directly in strategic sectors.
The White House has previously pursued similar arrangements with Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), MP Materials (NYSE:MP) and other firms considered vital to national security. “President Trump supports this project. He wants it to succeed and also be fair to taxpayers,” a White House official told Reuters. “But there’s no such thing as free money.”
Located about 25 miles south of Nevada’s border with Oregon, Lithium Americas says Thacker Pass is set to become the western hemisphere’s largest lithium source once fully operational. Phase 1 is designed to produce 40,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate per year, enough for roughly 800,000 electric vehicles.
Full commercial output is scheduled for 2028, following the completion of the processing plant and mine infrastructure; construction is already underway, with more than 600 contractors on site.
The scale of production would dwarf current US lithium output. At present, the country produces fewer than 5,000 metric tons annually from Albemarle's (NYSE:ALB) Silver Peak facility in Nevada.
By contrast, global leaders Australia and Chile dominate mining, while China exerts outsized control over refining, processing more than 75 percent of the world’s lithium into battery-ready material.
The project was approved in the closing days of Trump’s initial term and received final financing under the Biden administration in 2024, when the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) closed the record US$2.26 billion loan.
General Motors (NYSE:GM), which invested US$625 million in Lithium Americas last year for a 38 percent stake, holds rights to purchase all of the mine’s Phase 1 lithium output and part of Phase 2 output for the next two decades.
Trump officials are now pressing for assurances that GM will uphold those commitments, and are also seeking to shift some project control away from the automaker and toward Washington, according to Reuters' sources.
For its part, Lithium Americas has stayed measured in its comments.
“We respect the LPO’s decision to pursue a restructure and remain in active discussions with the (Department of Energy) and our partner, GM, and will provide an update at the appropriate time,” the company said.
The reports of a potential government stake ignited trading activity. Shares of Lithium Americas jumped more than 90 percent in New York on Wednesday (September 24), climbing from about US$3 to as much as US$6.12.
Lithium Americas performance, September 19 to 24, 2025.
Chart via Google Finance.
GM shares also ticked higher, up about 2.5 percent in early trading.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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