KBR Selected for Weardale Lithium's Demonstration Plant in the UK
KBR (NYSE: KBR) has secured a contract from Weardale Lithium to develop one of Europe's most advanced lithium brine extraction demonstration facilities in Eastgate, County Durham, UK. The project combines KBR's PureLi® technology with Geolith SAS' Li-Capt® Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate from geothermal groundwater.
The facility is designed to scale up to a commercial production target of 10,000 tons per annum, with initial battery-grade lithium carbonate production expected in early 2026. The project is projected to contribute over £1bn to the North East England economy and is recognized in the UK Government's Critical Minerals Strategy as important for the country's transition to a net-zero economy.
KBR (NYSE: KBR) ha ottenuto un contratto da Weardale Lithium per sviluppare uno dei più avanzati impianti di dimostrazione per l'estrazione di salamoia di litio in Europa a Eastgate, nella contea di Durham, Regno Unito. Il progetto combina la tecnologia PureLi® di KBR con la tecnologia Li-Capt® Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) di Geolith SAS per produrre carbonato di litio di grado per batterie da acque sotterranee geotermiche.
L'impianto è progettato per scalare fino a un obiettivo di produzione commerciale di 10.000 tonnellate all'anno, con la produzione iniziale di carbonato di litio di grado per batterie prevista per l'inizio del 2026. Si prevede che il progetto contribuirà con oltre 1 miliardo di sterline all'economia del Nord Est dell'Inghilterra ed è riconosciuto nella Critical Minerals Strategy del governo del Regno Unito come importante per la transizione del paese verso un'economia a zero emissioni nette.
KBR (NYSE: KBR) ha asegurado un contrato con Weardale Lithium para desarrollar una de las instalaciones de demostración de extracción de salmuera de litio más avanzadas de Europa en Eastgate, Condado de Durham, Reino Unido. El proyecto combina la tecnología PureLi® de KBR con la tecnología Li-Capt® Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) de Geolith SAS para producir carbonato de litio de grado para baterías a partir de aguas subterráneas geotérmicas.
La instalación está diseñada para escalar hasta un objetivo de producción comercial de 10,000 toneladas por año, con la producción inicial de carbonato de litio de grado para baterías esperada para principios de 2026. Se proyecta que el proyecto contribuya con más de 1 mil millones de libras a la economía del noreste de Inglaterra y se reconoce en la Estrategia de Minerales Críticos del Gobierno del Reino Unido como importante para la transición del país a una economía de cero emisiones netas.
KBR (NYSE: KBR)는 영국 더럼 카운티 이스트게이트에 유럽에서 가장 진보된 리튬 염수 추출 시범 시설을 개발하기 위해 Weardale Lithium로부터 계약을 체결했습니다. 이 프로젝트는 KBR의 PureLi® 기술과 Geolith SAS의 Li-Capt® 직쇄 리튬 추출(DLE) 기술을 결합하여 지열 지하수에서 배터리 등급의 리튬 카보네이트를 생산합니다.
이 시설은 연간 10,000톤의 상업 생산 목표에 맞게 확대될 수 있도록 설계되어 있으며, 초기 배터리 등급 리튬 카보네이트 생산은 2026년 초로 예상됩니다. 이 프로젝트는 북동부 잉글랜드 경제에 10억 파운드 이상 기여할 것으로 예상되며, 영국 정부의 중요 광물 전략에서 국가가 탄소 중립 경제로 전환하는 데 중요한 요소로 인식되고 있습니다.
KBR (NYSE: KBR) a obtenu un contrat de Weardale Lithium pour développer l'une des installations de démonstration d'extraction de saumure de lithium les plus avancées d'Europe à Eastgate, dans le comté de Durham, au Royaume-Uni. Le projet combine la technologie PureLi® de KBR avec la technologie Li-Capt® Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) de Geolith SAS pour produire du carbonate de lithium de qualité batterie à partir d'eaux souterraines géothermiques.
L'installation est conçue pour atteindre un objectif de production commerciale de 10 000 tonnes par an, avec une production initiale de carbonate de lithium de qualité batterie prévue pour début 2026. Le projet devrait contribuer à plus de 1 milliard de livres à l'économie du Nord-Est de l'Angleterre et est reconnu dans la Critical Minerals Strategy du gouvernement britannique comme important pour la transition du pays vers une économie zéro émission nette.
KBR (NYSE: KBR) hat einen Vertrag mit Weardale Lithium zur Entwicklung einer der fortschrittlichsten Demonstrationsanlagen zur Lithiumsole-Extraktion in Europa in Eastgate, Grafschaft Durham, UK, abgeschlossen. Das Projekt kombiniert die PureLi®-Technologie von KBR mit der Li-Capt® Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE)-Technologie von Geolith SAS, um lithiumhaltiges Carbonat von Batteriequalität aus geothermischem Grundwasser zu produzieren.
Die Anlage ist darauf ausgelegt, auf ein kommerzielles Produktionsziel von 10.000 Tonnen pro Jahr zu skalieren, wobei die erste Produktion von Lithiumcarbonat in Batteriequalität für Anfang 2026 erwartet wird. Es wird prognostiziert, dass das Projekt über 1 Milliarde Pfund zur Wirtschaft des Nordostens Englands beitragen wird und in der Critical Minerals Strategy der britischen Regierung als wichtig für den Übergang des Landes zu einer Netto-Null-Wirtschaft anerkannt ist.
- Contract awarded for advanced lithium extraction demonstration facility
- Successful pilot-scale production of battery-grade lithium carbonate
- Facility scalable to 10,000 tons per annum commercial production
- Project expected to contribute over £1bn to local economy
- Recognition in UK Government's Critical Minerals Strategy
- None.
Insights
This contract marks a strategic expansion for KBR into the high-growth lithium market, positioning the company as a key technology provider in Europe's emerging battery supply chain. The selection for Weardale's demonstration plant carries several significant implications:
The project's potential scale-up to 10,000 tons per annum of battery-grade lithium carbonate represents approximately
The integrated KBR-Geolith technology offers distinct competitive advantages: 1) Utilization of existing geothermal wells reduces capital intensity and environmental impact 2) The Li-Capt® DLE technology's low water and carbon footprint aligns with stringent EU environmental regulations 3) The ability to produce battery-grade material directly addresses the high-value segment of the market.
From a business perspective, this project could serve as a reference case for KBR's technology in the rapidly growing lithium sector. With projected contribution of over
Under the agreement, KBR will provide technology licensing and proprietary engineering design for Weardale Lithium's plant, which will be designed to scale up to a commercial production target of 10,000 tons per annum in the coming years. The facility will produce battery-grade lithium carbonate from geothermal groundwater sourced from existing production wells.
This proprietary engineering design is based upon an integrated technology offering, established through a global alliance agreement last year, and has successfully produced battery-grade lithium carbonate from Weardale Lithium's brine at pilot scale, combining KBR's PureLi® technology with Geolith SAS' Li-Capt® Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology.
"KBR's collaboration with Weardale Lithium reflects our shared commitment to providing sustainable solutions for addressing the growing demand for lithium, essential to the growth of EVs and renewable energy storage," said Jay Ibrahim, President, KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions. "This project is a significant step forward for overcoming global lithium supply chain challenges and advancing the energy transition."
"We're pleased to begin the engineering design for our demonstration plant, with the first quantities of battery-grade lithium carbonate expected in early 2026," said Stewart Dickson, CEO, Weardale Lithium Limited. "The integrated KBR-Geolith offering positions us to confidently scale up on-site production, contributing over
"We are happy to see our DLE Li-Capt technology implemented alongside KBR's PureLi technology at the Weardale Lithium demonstration facility," said Jean-Philippe Gibaud, President and Founder of Geolith SAS. "Our technology is recognized for its highly selective lithium extraction with low-carbon and low-water usage, making it a sustainable method for extracting lithium."
KBR's expertise in the recovery and purification of critical minerals stems from over seven decades of experience in evaporation and crystallization technologies, all designed to comply with evolving environmental regulations.
About KBR
We deliver science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. KBR employs approximately 37,000 people worldwide with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in over 30 countries.
KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, and long-term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver.
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Forward Looking Statements
The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding project outcomes, future production, economic contributions and future regulation, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, many of which are beyond the company's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, those set forth in the company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Form 10-Qs and 8-Ks and other
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