Li-Metal Achieves Breakthrough in Lithium Metal Synthesis, Paving the Way for North American Battery Manufacturing

The successful demonstration of Lithium Metal synthesis from Lithium Carbonate by Li-Metal supports the Company's aim of establishing North American-based Lithium Metal manufacturing capacity that next-generation battery makers could use. Furthermore, by reaching this milestone, the Company can guarantee its supply of Lithium Metal for anode manufacturing, allowing it to implement its vertically integrated business model.

To this day, the province has successfully lured automakers Volkswagen and Stellantis (with LG Energy Solutions) to set up two battery cell manufacturing plants. Moreover, Belgium-based Umicore invested 1.5 billion dollars in setting up a Cathode Active Material (CAM) establishment facility near Kingston.

The direct manufacturing of Lithium Metal from Lithium Carbonate eliminates the requirement for corrosive Lithium Chloride feedstock material, hence eliminating the generation of chlorine gas in conventional Lithium Metal production procedures. This lowers the environmental impact of Li-Metal's Lithium Metal production while reducing the need for expensive treatment equipment, increasing the cost-effectiveness of the Company's technology.

Li-Metal was recently given a patent by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office for the manufacturing of Lithium Metal from carbonate (patent CA3179470), which further supports its growth strategy for its sustainable Lithium Metal company.

The capacity to generate Lithium Metal is a significant step toward the Company's aim of demonstrating continuous Lithium Metal production as it expands its piloting program in Markham, Ontario. In preparation for commercial deployment, Li-Metal desires to continue testing campaigns on its pilot scale process to improve product quality and process expenses.

In addition, work on the engineering study for a commercial-scale Lithium Metal facility is progressing, and opportunities for Lithium Metal sales into the next-generation battery industry and traditional Lithium Metal markets are being explored to develop a healthy order book for the Company's businesses. Due to its wide spectrum of applications, including consumer electronics, energy storage capabilities, and electric vehicles (EVs), lithium-ion battery (LIB) integration has risen staggeringly.

On the other hand, traditional LIB chemistry has several limits and cannot match the rising range and energy density demands of EVs and advanced battery-powered applications such as electric aircraft.

Several aspiring and established battery manufacturers, as well as automotive OEMs, are racing to scale up and deploy alternative LIB technologies, such as solid-state batteries. The Lithium Metal anodes, which provide significant energy density gains over standard LIBs, are a fundamental component of these future-generation batteries.

Presently, more than 90% of the Lithium Metal produced globally is concentrated in China, and Li-Metal is moving ahead with its plans to profit-orient its patented Lithium Metal production technology to attain the rising regional demand.