Rare Earth Minerals (LON:REM) told investors that a high quality lithium carbonate has been produced by Western Lithium at a demonstration plant in Germany.
The AIM listed group has a 3% interest in Western Lithium, and it believes the lithium bearing material feed into the plant has similarities to the deposits at the Sonora Lithium Project (which is REM’s main focus).
The first trial run at the German plant produced a 99.8% high quality lithium carbonate, and it is expected that several tons of lithium product will now be produced in 2015, Western Lithium explained.
This process will allow Western Lithium to verify equipment selection and to provide samples for potential off-take partners, it added.
Western Lithium also said that permitting and engineering work is expected to accelerate through 2015, as ongoing talks with several strategic partners have revealed interest.
David Lenigas, the chairman of REM, in a statement said: "There are many similarities between Western Lithium's Kings Valley clay based lithium project in Nevada and the Sonora Lithium Project in northern Mexico and their progress on the lithium production and testing front since October last year has been significant.
“They have now proven that they can produce a high grade lithium carbonate through its demonstration plant in Germany, and coupled with the lithium-ion battery cycle testing, represents critical milestones in the specification of a lithium product for potential off-takers."