Lithium Pilot Plant Commissioning Update and Processing Progress

Executive Summary

• St‑Georges Eco‑Mining reports progress on its lithium processing pilot plant, including receipt of feedstock, installation of a new filter press that doubles filtration capacity, and successful preliminary leaching tests.
• Natural Resources Canada is contributing $4.0 million to the project under the Critical Minerals R&D program.
• The first purification stage is near completion, with full commissioning expected in the coming weeks and comprehensive pilot‑scale results slated for Q2 2026.

Key Details

• Funding: Natural Resources Canada provides a $4.0 M investment through the Critical Minerals Research, Development and Demonstration program.
• Feedstock Received: ~5 tonnes of spodumene concentrate from Canadian mining operations and ~900 kg of lithium‑ion battery black mass for future processing.
• Pilot Plant Processing to Date: Approximately 3 tonnes of spodumene concentrate have been processed in the leaching phase.
• Equipment Upgrade: Installation of a new filter press doubles filtration capacity, enabling higher throughput during commissioning.
• Laboratory Leaching Results: Preliminary tests show encouraging lithium recovery kinetics, controlled residue behavior, and acceptable acid consumption (see Figures 1‑3 in release).
• Upcoming Milestones:
• Completion & commissioning of the first purification stage (pending transformer delivery) – expected within weeks.
• Comprehensive leaching test results from pilot‑scale spodumene campaigns – anticipated end of March 2026.
• Pilot‑scale black‑mass leaching tests – anticipated early April 2026.
• Release of full pilot‑scale results – targeted for Q2 2026.
• Quotes:
• Mathieu Boudreau (Coalia): “The preliminary laboratory work provided a strong foundation for pilot operations… the upcoming evaporation stage will position the pilot plant to generate comprehensive pilot‑scale results in the coming months.”
• Frank Dumas (Chairman, St‑Georges): “The SXM pilot plant continues to advance through commissioning with increasing throughput and infrastructure upgrades… supports the development of domestic lithium processing capabilities.”

Notable Quotes

“The installation of additional filtration capacity and the upcoming evaporation stage will position the pilot plant to generate comprehensive pilot‑scale results in the coming months.” – Mathieu Boudreau, P. Eng., Coalia

“Processing Canadian spodumene feedstock reinforces the strategic relevance of this program and supports the development of domestic lithium processing capabilities.” – Frank Dumas, Chairman, St‑Georges Eco‑Mining Corp.