Aquatech, a global player in critical minerals processing technology and industrial water reuse solutions, is set to deliver the largest Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) unit ever deployed in North America for Prairie Lithium’s lithium project in Saskatchewan, Canada. The project supports Prairie Lithium’s 4.6 million metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) resource base and represents a major step toward strengthening the regional lithium supply chain.
Advanced Li-Pro™ Technology to Enable High-Purity Lithium Production
Aquatech will deploy its proprietary Li-Pro™ Lithium Selective Sorption (LSS) technology through its PEARL™ technology licensing platform. The advanced system will produce a highly purified lithium chloride stream, supporting efficient downstream lithium processing. Aquatech will install a modularized Quadpod™ unit, featuring four full-scale Li-Pro columns, at Prairie Lithium’s production facility in summer 2026. The deployment marks one of the first large-scale applications of modular lithium processing technology.
Proven Direct Lithium Extraction Technology
Aquatech’s Li-Pro™ LSS platform is among the most extensively tested DLE technologies available today. The technology has demonstrated consistent lithium recovery performance through more than 15,000 extraction cycles over four years, processing over 1 million barrels of Arkansas Smackover brine. Its proven performance highlights the potential of DLE technology to improve lithium recovery efficiency while supporting more sustainable critical mineral production.
Accelerating the Future of Lithium Supply
The collaboration aims to accelerate Prairie Lithium’s transition toward commercial-scale production by combining Aquatech’s process expertise, modular engineering capabilities, and project execution experience. Commenting on the partnership, Manish Backliwal, Senior Director at Aquatech, said, “This collaboration is designed to accelerate Prairie Lithium’s path to commercial production. Aquatech’s contribution combines process expertise, modular deployment capability, and DLE project execution support to help advance this important project.”
Major Milestone for North American Lithium Industry
The installation of the commercial-scale Li-Pro™ unit represents a significant milestone for Prairie Lithium and the broader lithium industry. “Installing a commercial-scale Li-Pro unit at our Saskatchewan facility is an important step toward demonstrating the project’s commercial viability. This is a significant milestone as we work toward commissioning one of the largest DLE facilities globally with Aquatech,” said Zach Maurer, Executive Director at Prairie Lithium.
Supporting Sustainable Critical Minerals Development
Through this collaboration, Aquatech and Prairie Lithium are advancing innovative lithium extraction solutions designed to support the growing demand for battery materials. As reported by prnewswire.com, by combining advanced DLE technology with modular processing, the project aims to deliver a more efficient, scalable, and sustainable approach to lithium production for the clean energy transition.
