Century Lithium Corp. (TSX-V:LCE, OTCQX:CYDVF)earlier this week announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Orica, a global chemical company.
The MOU focuses on utilizing surplus sodium hydroxide from Century Lithium's operations.
CEO Bill Willoughby talked with Proactive about the agreement and the company's progress at the Angel Island lithium project in Nevada.
Proactive: Welcome back inside our Proactive newsroom. Joining me now is Bill Willoughby, CEO of Century Lithium. Bill, great to see you again. How are you?
Bill Willoughby: I'm good, thanks. Great to be back with you again.
I know you’ve got some news, and we’ll talk about that in a moment. But for those unfamiliar, could you remind us about the company and your current project?
Certainly. Century Lithium is focused on our Angel Island Lithium Project in central Nevada. The project is adjacent to Albemarle's Silver Peak brine operation. We've been working on it for seven years, using an alkaline process to extract lithium from claystone, with lithium carbonate as the end product. Our pilot plant, operating south of the project for three years, has successfully produced battery-grade lithium carbonate.
So, from optimizing the process to today, you're now at the product stage, correct?
Yes, we’re very pleased with our process. We use direct lithium extraction, based on ion exchange absorption. It’s not entirely new but works effectively for us. We extract lithium from claystone, leach it using alkaline processes, and employ hydrochloric acid to produce sodium hydroxide, which also acts as our process neutralizer.
That brings us to your latest news: you’ve signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Orica’s specialty mining chemicals. Can you tell us about Orica and this agreement?
Orica is a major global chemical company headquartered in Australia, with operations worldwide. In the US, they own Cinco, a supplier of chemicals for mining, particularly gold mining. Cinco has a plant in Winnemucca, Nevada, and is a major consumer of sodium hydroxide in the western US. As part of our process, we produce a surplus of about 40% sodium hydroxide. Orica and Cinco have been very supportive of our efforts, and the MOU enables innovative chemical processing in a region heavily reliant on sodium hydroxide imports.
The deal spans five years, with an option for another five. Has the US government’s focus on domestic projects impacted your momentum?
Definitely. This shifts us from planning to focusing on details like transportation and marketing. It’s a big step forward.
What can we expect from Century Lithium in 2025?
We’re optimizing processes at the pilot plant, advancing permitting, and exploring transportation and processing improvements. Although lithium prices are currently low, we’re being cautious and expect a rebound. When that happens, we’ll be ready.
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and style