SANTIAGO, Chile, Aug. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Summit Nanotech (“Summit”), a leader in direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology, today announced the construction of a commercially representative, in-house demonstration plant at its Santiago facility. This advanced plant is designed to accelerate commercial project design compared to traditional in-field demonstrations, while significantly reducing both time and capital risk.
Installed tankage to receive customer field brine at Summit’s Santiago facility
Set to commence customer brine processing in January 2026, the Santiago demonstration plant will receive tanker deliveries of up to 30 m3 of brine and deliver an asset-specific commercial design report within 2-3 months, depending on test scope and objectives. This report will include:
- Operating parameters with projected lithium recovery rates, impurity rejection rates, water and energy use
- All engineering design factors, including full DLE plant layout, detailed equipment list, and CapEx/OpEx estimates
- Modeling for dynamic brine conditions, including variable flow, temperature, and composition
- Fixed-price, performance-guaranteed proposal for a full-scale denaLi™ DLE plant
By conducting the demonstration in-house, Summit reduces typical in-field demonstration timelines by 75% and demo costs by 90%, giving customers a faster, more cost-effective path to final investment decision (FID).
“Our goal is to de-risk commercial plant design by giving customers everything they need to confidently advance their projects, without the time, complexity, and cost of a field demo,” said Amanda Hall, CEO and Founder of Summit Nanotech. “This is how we drive the industry to scale smarter and faster.”
For lithium developers in Chile, Argentina, or the United States, Summit’s in-house demonstration plant offers a streamlined and technically robust pathway to commercial project development.
DLE Done Right
Summit’s technology is setting the pace for DLE, consistently outperforming alternatives in reliability, efficiency, and economics. Its modular system and high-performance sorbent, engineered in North America, produce high-purity lithium from brines in Chile, Argentina, and the United States, with industry-leading water efficiency.
The company is currently operating a field demonstration plant in Chile and is actively developing sorbent and technology supply agreements for projects over 5 kt/y LCE, with the ability to deliver the full range of plant capacities demanded by the market.
Summit’s in-house demonstration plant will begin processing customer brines in January 2026. Companies interested in testing and validating their lithium assets are encouraged to contact Summit to secure participation.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4e988bc7-a120-46b2-8252-1192356ae5cc
A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b1166a26-a7bb-4bfc-baf2-7a51097c2f16
