Aquatech will deploy North America’s largest DLE unit at Prairie Lithium’s Saskatchewan project, advancing sustainable large-scale battery-grade lithium production.
Aquatech has achieved a significant breakthrough in North America’s rapidly developing lithium industry by securing a contract to provide the continent’s largest direct lithium extraction (DLE) unit for Prairie Lithium’s flagship project in Saskatchewan, Canada. The development marks a major advancement in the commercialization of sustainable lithium production technologies and highlights the increasing importance of innovative extraction methods to meet the growing global demand for battery-grade lithium.
The Saskatchewan project is centered around Prairie Lithium’s extensive resource base, estimated at approximately 4.6 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE). To unlock this resource efficiently, Aquatech will deploy its advanced Li-Pro Lithium Selective Sorption (LSS) technology, which operates under the company’s PEARL technology licensing platform. This cutting-edge solution is designed to selectively extract lithium from brine sources and generate a highly purified lithium chloride stream, which serves as a key intermediate product in the production of battery-grade lithium chemicals.
As part of the project, Aquatech will deliver a modular Quadpod processing system featuring four full-scale Li-Pro extraction columns. The unit is scheduled for installation at Prairie Lithium’s Saskatchewan site during the summer of 2026. The deployment represents one of the first large-scale modular DLE installations in North America and demonstrates the increasing maturity and commercial readiness of advanced lithium extraction technologies.
Aquatech’s Li-Pro LSS technology has already demonstrated strong operational performance through extensive industrial-scale validation. Over the last four years, the technology has successfully completed more than 15,000 extraction cycles and processed more than one million barrels of brine from the Smackover formation in Arkansas. These achievements provide confidence in the reliability, durability, and scalability of the technology for future commercial lithium production projects.
According to Manish Backliwal, Senior Director at Aquatech, the collaboration with Prairie Lithium has been established to accelerate the company’s transition from project development to full commercial lithium production. He emphasized that Aquatech’s role extends beyond supplying extraction technology, as the company will support Prairie Lithium through a comprehensive approach involving process engineering expertise, modular system deployment, and project execution assistance to ensure successful implementation.
Prairie Lithium also considers the installation of the commercial-scale Li-Pro unit a major milestone in its journey toward becoming a significant lithium producer in North America. Zach Maurer, Executive Director at Prairie Lithium, stated that the project represents an important step in proving the economic and technical feasibility of large-scale DLE operations. He further highlighted that the facility is expected to become one of the largest direct lithium extraction operations globally, demonstrating the potential of advanced extraction methods to transform the lithium supply chain.
Aquatech currently has lithium projects under execution worldwide with a combined capacity exceeding 100,000 tons per year. Through its PEARL platform, the company offers a comprehensive solution encompassing lithium extraction, purification, refining technologies, modular plant design, and digital optimization tools. This integrated approach aims to lower production costs, minimize development risks, and reduce the time required to bring new lithium projects into operation.
The Prairie Lithium project also benefits from Saskatchewan’s well-developed infrastructure and has been designed with sustainability at its core. The project aims to minimize freshwater consumption, reduce land disturbance, and decrease waste generation compared with conventional lithium production methods. By combining responsible resource development with advanced DLE technology, the partnership between Aquatech and Prairie Lithium is expected to contribute significantly to strengthening North America’s domestic lithium supply chain and supporting the growing electric vehicle and energy storage markets.
