Century Lithium hits 97% REE recovery at Angel

Executive Summary

• Century Lithium Corp. reported high recovery rates of rare-earth elements (REEs) and critical metals from primary lithium leach solutions at its Angel Island project in Nevada.
• Ion-exchange testwork achieved greater than 97% recovery of identified REEs and critical metals (excluding cesium) while maintaining complete selectivity against lithium, ensuring no impact on the core lithium recovery process.
• The results validate the potential for secondary value from REEs, which could strengthen the project's economics and align with North American critical minerals supply chain initiatives.

Key Details

• Recovery Rates: Ion-exchange testwork achieved greater than 97% recovery of identified REEs and critical metals.
• Selectivity: The process maintained complete selectivity against lithium, which is essential for downstream lithium recovery via ultrafiltration and direct lithium extraction (DLE).
• Target Elements: The recovered elements include dysprosium, gadolinium, neodymium, praseodymium, scandium, lanthanum, and cerium. Cesium is present but excluded from the >97% recovery metric.
• Process Impact: REE extraction and recovery can be implemented without affecting the company's core lithium recovery process or the production of high-purity lithium carbonate.
• Strategic Value: Producing a secondary REE-rich product has the potential to strengthen Angel Island's economics and support secure North American critical minerals supply chains.
• Future Focus: The metallurgical program is currently optimizing ion-exchange performance, advancing downstream processing flowsheets for REE concentration/refinement, evaluating market pathways for commercial REE byproducts, and assessing the economic contribution of REEs to primary lithium production.
• Project Context: Angel Island is a 100%-owned project in Esmeralda County, Nevada, hosting one of the largest sedimentary lithium deposits in the US. It is in the permitting stage for a three-phase feasibility-level production plan expected to yield an estimated life-of-mine average of 34,000 tonnes per year of lithium carbonate over a 40-year mine-life.

Notable Quotes

• "The REE recovery results validate our belief that Century Lithium's leach solutions offer meaningful secondary-value opportunities," said Todd Fayram, Century Lithium's senior vice-president, metallurgy. "Producing a secondary REE-rich product has the potential to strengthen Angel Island's economics and align the company with broader government and industry initiatives supporting secure North American critical minerals supply chains."