Business
5E Advanced Materials Completes Lithium Carbonate Preliminary Economic Assessment
5E Advanced Materials Completes Lithium Carbonate Preliminary Economic Assessment
About this update from 5e Advanced Materials, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Lithium carbonate byproduct credit projected to generate approximately $9.5 million in annual revenue and to enhance Fort Cady project NPV and overall economicsExisting small-scale facility equipment expected to reduce incremental CAPEX requirements HESPERIA, CA / ACCESS Newswire / May 20, 2026 / 5E Advanced Materials, Inc., (\"5E\" or the \"Company\") a company focused on becoming a vertically integrated global leader and supplier of refined borates and advanced boron derivative materials, today announced the successful completion of a preliminary economic assessment (the \"PEA\") of lithium carbonate recovery opportunities associated with the lithium-rich brine stream generated from its planned large-scale Fort Cady critical mineral facility located in Southern California. The PEA, completed by Fluor Corporation, a leading global engineering, procurement and construction firm, evaluated multiple lithium extraction and processing pathways and identified direct concentration as the optimal recovery process based on economics, operational fit, and execution risk.Key Highlights of the StudyProduction of approximately 523 short tons per annum of lithium carbonate via direct concentration methodPre-tax NPV7 of $56.7 million and Pre-tax IRR of 51.6%, with indicated capital payback in approximately two to three years from first productionApproximately $9.8 million indicated total installed cost for direct concentration, compared to approximately $25.3 million for a direct lithium extraction (\"DLE\") alternativeA simplified process flowsheet with fewer unit operations and reduced operational complexityLower maintenance and staffing requirements relative to DLE technologyUtilization of commercially mature evaporation and lithium carbonate processing technologies, reducing technology risk\"Completion of this assessment is an important technical and commercial milestone in advancing Fort Cady as a domestic source of boron and lithium, two critical minerals,\" said Paul Weibel, CEO of 5E Advanced Materials, Inc. \"The direct concentration process offers a commercially proven, capital-efficient and economically attractive pathway to recover additional value from our existing brine streams while maintaining operational simplicity and minimizing development risk. We believe the selected process can leverage existing equipment from our small-...