EMP tables update on Saskatchewan lithium extraction plant
EMP Metals Corp. [EMPS-CSE, EMPPF-OTCQB] says it has completed construction of its Project Aurora Demonstration Plant located within the company’s Viewfield Project Area in Saskatchewan.
EMP is a Canadian lithium exploration and development company with a focus on large-scale resources using direct lithium extraction (DLE). The company currently holds over 83,000 hectares of subsurface depositions and strategic wellbores in southern Saskatchewan.
Project Aurora is EMP’s integrated, continuous-flow lithium refining demonstration system designed to process 10 m3/day of raw brine from wellhead to lithium chemicals. The facility is intended to validate process performance, optimize operating parameters, and generate engineering and economic data to support future commercial-scale development.
In its latest update, the company said the fully integrated demonstration facility is now directly connected to both the production well and waste brine disposal well, allowing continuous wellhead brine delivery to the facility process while returning spent brine to the targeted disposal interval. This integration configuration enables full commissioning of the demonstration plant under real operating conditions and is among the first Lithium Brine facilities in Canada to achieve this level of integration.
Commissioning activities continue to progress according to plan and are now approximately 50% complete, the company said in a press release. Live production brine is currently being processed through multiple operating systems as commissioning advances toward full plant start-up. EMP said it remains on schedule to commence demonstration operations during the third quarter of 2026.
“Completing construction of Project Aurora marks a major milestone for EMP as we transition from building the facility to operating it,’’ said EMP Metals CEO Karl Kottmeier. “Having the demonstration plant fully connected directly to both the production well and disposal well allows us to commission the facility under true field operating conditions,’’ he said. “Fresh production brine is now flowing through the process as we continue integrating each system, and with commissioning approximately halfway complete, we remain on scheduled for Q3 startup.’’
EMP shares were unchanged at 48.5 cents on Wednesday. The shares trade in a 52-week range of $1.03 and 26 cents.
EMP in partnership with Saltworks Technologies Inc. on Project Auroa, will demonstrate an integrated continuous-flow lithium refining system from raw brine to battery-grade chemicals. The project is designed to simplify lithium production, reduce costs and derisk scale-up via system-level integration.
Saltworks’ role is to design, build and operate the modular hub and spoke demonstration plant and integrate it with EMP Metals’ horizontal lithium well and brine handling infrastructure at the Viewfield asset in Saskatchewan. The wellhead-connected production spokes are designed to convert raw brine into a refined, low-volume, lithium-rich solution, which will then be transported to a central conversion facility at Saltworks headquarters for final processing into battery-grade chemicals.
Construction of an 8,400-square foot demonstration plant commenced in September, 2025.