Producing Battery-Grade Lithium From Industrial Brine: White Silver Lithium Project Clears Key Technical Milestone
MWN-AI** Summary
Intrepid Potash, Inc. has achieved a significant milestone in the development of its White Silver Lithium Project, confirming the long-term viability of a new method for producing battery-grade lithium carbonate from industrial brine. The project, situated at Intrepid's existing potash facility in Wendover, Utah, aims to recover 5,000 tons per year of high-purity lithium. This innovative approach will make the United States one of the first countries to source battery-grade lithium domestically from an industrial by-product, reducing reliance on international lithium supply chains primarily located in Latin America and East Asia.
The White Silver Lithium Project employs a unique process that combines lithium chloride extraction with on-site refining to yield over 99.5% lithium carbonate. This endeavor is executed under a joint development agreement with Aquatech and Adionics, with White Silver LLC, a subsidiary of Aquatech, leading the charge. Aquatech’s proprietary PEARL™ process technology, known for its modularity and scalability, is central to the project, promoting capital efficiency and a guarantee of long-term performance.
Devesh Sharma, CEO of Aquatech, emphasized that the project's success reflects a developer-led strategy that harmonizes resource management with advanced process technology. The facility is expected to support domestic lithium production while setting new standards for cost-effectiveness and sustainability.
Additionally, the estimated lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) mineral resource in the brine is approximately 119,000 tons, with the potential for perpetual production due to the resource's sustainable aquifer system. The project not only strengthens U.S. critical mineral supply chains but also aims to meet growing demands for electrification in various sectors.
MWN-AI** Analysis
The White Silver Lithium Project, spearheaded by Intrepid Potash, Inc., marks a significant advancement in the U.S. lithium production landscape, offering a domestic solution to a critical material for battery manufacturing. With the project’s confirmation of 5,000 tons per year of battery-grade lithium carbonate from industrial brine, investors should recognize its implications for market dynamics and lithium supply chains.
Historically, U.S. lithium sourcing has been plagued by reliance on imports from Latin America and East Asia, creating vulnerabilities in the supply chain, particularly amid increasing demand fueled by the electrification of the automotive sector. The advent of the White Silver Project not only promises to alleviate this dependency but also establishes a model for sustainable and scalable lithium production using existing infrastructure. This innovation is supported by Aquatech’s PEARL™ technology, designed for efficiency and scalability, which could set new industry benchmarks.
Investors should consider the long-term viability of the project, particularly as it highlights a shift towards domestic critical mineral supply chains. The resource’s estimated 119,000 tons lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE), combined with the theoretically infinite recharging capacity of the aquifer, suggests the project could generate consistent production and revenue over time.
Additionally, with increasing pressure on automakers to meet sustainability and local sourcing requirements, projects like White Silver are poised to gain traction. Companies heavily invested in electric vehicles and battery technologies may view partnerships or investments in such projects favorably, further catalyzing stock performance.
In summary, the White Silver Lithium Project not only paves the way for domestic lithium production but also presents a unique investment opportunity as the transition to a low-carbon economy accelerates. Stakeholders should monitor developments closely as this pioneering project begins production and its influence on market dynamics unfolds.
**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.
PR Newswire
CANONSBURG, Pa., March 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Publication of an updated Technical Report Summary ("TRS") by Intrepid Potash, Inc. (NYSE:IPI) has confirmed the long-term viability of the White Silver Lithium Project, which will recover 5,000 tons per year of battery-grade lithium carbonate from an industrial brine by-product stream at Intrepid's Potash facility in Wendover, Utah.
On completion, this will be the first project in the USA to deliver high-purity lithium at scale using by-product brine from an existing industrial process (potash).
While much of lithium used for battery production in the USA is extracted in Latin America and refined in East Asia, this project will pioneer a new, fully domestic source of battery raw materials for a new generation of electrification. This project is notable in combining the extraction of lithium chloride with on-site conversion (or refining) to battery-grade (>99.5%) lithium carbonate. Design, engineering and execution of the White Silver Lithium Project is taking place under a joint development agreement comprising Intrepid Potash, Aquatech and Adionics.
The project is being developed by White Silver LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Aquatech. Aquatech combines bespoke process development, modular system delivery, and lifecycle performance considerations to ensure project bankability and speed of execution. The modular and scalable nature of Aquatech's PEARL™ process technology platform underpins this effort by supporting capital efficiency and a long-term performance guarantee.
"This milestone reflects the strength of a developer-led approach that integrates resource understanding, process technology, and execution discipline," said Devesh Sharma, CEO at Aquatech. "By applying our PEARL™ technology platform and decades of experience delivering complex water and process projects, we are helping to shape a bankable pathway for domestic lithium production from industrial brine."
About White Silver
White Silver LLC is a project company established by Aquatech to develop a five thousand metric ton per year lithium carbonate processing facility in Wendover, Utah, in collaboration with Intrepid Potash and Adionics via a Joint Development Agreement. This project will strengthen domestic critical mineral supply chains while setting new benchmarks for cost, sustainability, and reliability in U.S. lithium production.
Aquatech will design, build and operate the facility, leveraging its PEARL™ full–flow–sheet process technology platform along with Adionics' direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology.
The estimated measured and indicated lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) mineral resources total approximately 119,000 tons. However, given the recharging nature of the shallow aquifer and quasi-infinite deep brine aquifer, the brine mineral resources can theoretically be produced in perpetuity.
www.aquatech.com/white-silver-lithium
About Aquatech
Aquatech empowers the world's leading companies to reach their sustainability and performance goals with advanced water and process technology solutions. By combining innovation with deep industry expertise, we deliver integrated, end–to–end approaches that drive measurable environmental and economic results.
About Intrepid
Intrepid is a diversified mineral company that delivers potassium, magnesium, sulfur, salt, and water products essential for customer success in agriculture, animal feed and the oil and gas industry. Intrepid is the only U.S. producer of muriate of potash, which is applied as an essential nutrient for healthy crop development, utilized in several industrial applications and used as an ingredient in animal feed.
About Adionics
Adionics is at the forefront of lithium extraction advancements, offering a revolutionary approach that meets the needs of today's mining professionals. Adionics specializes in a closed-loop, liquid-liquid extraction process that efficiently and sustainably recovers lithium salts from various brines, including continental, geothermal or produced water.
SOURCE Aquatech
FAQ**
How does the partnership between Intrepid Potash Inc IPI and Aquatech enhance the efficiency and sustainability of lithium extraction from industrial brine for the White Silver Lithium Project?
What are the projected economic impacts of the White Silver Lithium Project on Intrepid Potash Inc IPI’s overall operations in Wendover, Utah?
How does the PEARL™ technology platform utilized by Aquatech differentiate the White Silver Lithium Project in terms of capital efficiency from other lithium production methods employed by Intrepid Potash Inc IPI?
In what ways does the White Silver Lithium Project address the growing demand for domestically sourced battery-grade lithium in the U.S. market, particularly for Intrepid Potash Inc IPI?
**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about Intrepid Potash Inc (NYSE: IPI).
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