From Brine to Battery: Touring Standard Lithium’s DLE Facility
This Week:
An exclusive video tour of Standard Lithium’s demonstration plant and what it means for the future of lithium production in Arkansas.
Lithium Link gets an inside look at Standard Lithium’s commercial-scale direct lithium extraction (DLE) facility, where real Smackover brine is turned into battery-grade lithium carbonate.
Hear insights from plant manager Will Smith and see how this demonstration plant is shaping the $1.5 billion South West Arkansas Project.
Let’s dive in!
Video: A Look Inside Standard Lithium’s Demonstration Plant
Before Standard Lithium Ltd. of Vancouver breaks ground on its $1.5 billion commercial lithium facility near Lewisville, the company is already extracting lithium from Smackover brine at its demonstration plant at Lanxess' South Plant in Union County. It’s one of the most advanced direct lithium extraction (DLE) facilities operating in North America — and we got to see it up close.
Lithium Link toured the plant with Will Smith, Standard Lithium’s demonstration plant manager and operations lead for the South West Arkansas Project.
Smith walked us through the entire process — from tail brine to battery-grade lithium carbonate.
We also got a look at the main DLE column — a fascinating, high-tech system at the center of the plant’s operations — and went inside the main laboratory, where scientists and engineers are perfecting the DLE process.
More details:
Located in El Dorado, the demonstration plant processes tail brine from existing bromine operations at Lanxess, with which Standard Lithium has had a long-standing partnership.
The facility features a commercial-scale DLE system and a lithium carbonate conversion unit.
Commissioned in May 2020, it has processed more than 16.4 million gallons of Smackover brine as of March 31, 2024.
The company says the plant is different from traditional small-scale, short-term pilot programs in that it processes real Smackover brine directly from the resource:
“This continuous operation allows us to understand the dynamic conditions of commercial-scale operations, informing the design of our future facilities.”
Standard Lithium is using the plant to de-risk its technology and gather critical data for scaling. The facility’s DLE system extracts lithium from brine quickly — far faster than from traditional mining methods like evaporation ponds — and its carbonate polishing unit produces battery-grade lithium carbonate onsite.
Up next: Lessons learned here are directly informing the design and operation of the South West Arkansas Project, which will be built on 118 acres in Lafayette County.
That project is set to create 300 construction jobs and 100 permanent jobs when it comes online in 2028.
It has received a $225 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, one of the largest federal investments in a lithium project in the country.
Many thanks to Smith and members of the Standard Lithium team for hosting our tour. They’ve been busy lately!
What We’re Reading, Watching
Here’s a quick sample of other lithium-related news we’re reading and watching:
EV World provides readers with an update on “the lithium wars,” which includes EnergyX’s plans in the Smackover Formation and Tesla’s $1 billion lithium refinery under construction in Robstown, Texas. | Read the article
Joe Lowry tells the Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate that moves into the lithium market by GM, ExxonMobil, Chevron and Equinor are “game changers.” | Read the article
More Featured Speakers Set for the 2025 Arkansas Lithium Innovation Summit
🗓 Oct. 28-29, 2025
📍 Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock, Arkansas
Organizers of the Arkansas Lithium Innovation Summit have announced a slate of additional featured speakers. They are:
Ernie Ortiz, president and CEO of Lithium Royalties Corp.
Rahim Bapoo, managing director at BMO Capital Markets for Metals, Mining & Critical Minerals
Chris Berry, founder and president of House Mountain Partners
Gary Stanley, managing director at Global Mineral Strategies and retired director of the Office of Critical Minerals and Metals at the U.S. Department of Commerce
Garrett Krall, critical minerals and lithium business lead at Koch Technology Solutions (KTS)
They join other previously announced speakers, including David Park, CEO and director of Standard Lithium; Joe Lowry, founder and president, Global Lithium LLC; Morgan Bazilian, director, Payne Institute for Public Policy, Colorado School of Mines; Simon Moores, founder and CEO of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence; and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Why attend the summit?
✅ Learn from national experts
✅ Connect with startups, investors and global companies
✅ Explore opportunities in workforce, technology and infrastructure
The early bird deadline for tickets — Aug. 31 — is approaching fast! Don’t miss the Arkansas Lithium Innovation Summit, where innovators, industry leaders, researchers and policymakers meet to build America’s next energy hub.
Secure your spot now! GET TICKETS
Previously: A look at last year’s inaugural summit: Video | White paper
