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U.S. Department of Energy Selects Standard Lithium and Equinor for Award Negotiation of Up to $225 Million for South West Arkansas Project
LEWISVILLE, Ark., Sept. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium”) (TSXV:SLI) (NYSE:A:SLI), a leading near-commercial lithium devel
About this update from Standard Lithium Ltd.
[{"type":"text","content":" LEWISVILLE, Ark., Sept. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium”) (TSXV:SLI) (NYSE:A:SLI), a leading near-commercial lithium development and technology company and Equinor, a global energy leader, today announced that its jointly-owned U.S. subsidiary, SWA Lithium LLC has been selected for up to US$225 million award negotiation from the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”). This selection, overseen by the DOE's Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC), is one of the largest ever awarded to a U.S. critical minerals project and is part of the second wave of funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act aimed at expanding domestic manufacturing of all segments of the battery supply chain and increasing production of critical minerals in the U.S. The provisional grant is dependent on completing successful final negotiations with the DOE. Key Highlights: Conditional Award: The $225 million funding by the DOE will support the construction of the Central Processing Facility (“CPF”) for Phase 1 of the South West Arkansas project. The CPF for Phase 1 is being designed to annually produce 22,500 tonnes of battery-quality lithium carbonate, utilizing Direct Lithium Extraction (“DLE”) technology. The U.S. Government's significant cost share demonstrates its commitment to the project, underscoring the strategic importance of developing a domestic supply chain for critical minerals. Project Development and Expansion: The South West Arkansas project, located in Lafayette and Columbia Counties, Arkansas, is being developed in partnership with Equinor, with ownership shared at 55% by Standard Lithium and 45% by Equinor. The project’s design is being updated from its original Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS), and now targets a larger total output of 45,000 tonnes per annum of lithium carbonate, to be developed in two phases of 22,500 tonnes each. A Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) and Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) are currently underway to support this expansion. Location and Community Impact: The SWA project’s DLE and lithium carbonate facilities are planned to be located on a 118-acre property in rural Lafayette County, approximately 7 miles south of Lewisville, Arkansas. The brine unit that will source lithium-bearing brine for the project facilities spans lands in Lafa...