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    CleanTech’s $1.37B Laguna Verde lithium: economics and design notes for engineers

    March 31, 2026|

    Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

    CleanTech’s $1.37B Laguna Verde lithium: economics and design notes for engineers

    First reported on MINING.com

    30 Second Briefing

    CleanTech Lithium’s pre-feasibility study for the Laguna Verde brine project in Chile sets a pre-tax NPV of $1.37 billion on a 25-year operation producing 15,000 t/y of battery-grade lithium carbonate via direct lithium extraction, with a 24.2% pre-tax IRR and roughly four-year payback. Probable reserves total 378,000 t LCE at 186 mg/L, supporting steady-state output at operating costs of $5,768/t and initial capex of $748 million, placing it in the global lower cost quartile. A 40-year CEOL, on-site lithium chloride production with conversion in Copiapó, and proximity to ports reduce permitting and infrastructure risk as CleanTech courts strategic partners.

    Technical Brief

    • Laguna Verde will apply direct lithium extraction, producing lithium chloride brine on site before off-site conversion.
    • Downstream conversion to lithium carbonate is planned at a dedicated plant in Copiapó, not at the salar.
    • CleanTech Lithium holds a 40‑year CEOL, covering exploration, development, construction and production phases.
    • The CEOL with the Chilean state is positioned as a key enabler for strategic partner investment.
    • Established road access, nearby ports and existing processing infrastructure in the Copiapó region reduce greenfield logistics build‑out.
    • Completion of the pre‑feasibility study allows progression to a definitive feasibility study and detailed engineering.
    • Environmental approval processes can now advance in parallel with partner and funding negotiations.

    Our Take

    The 40‑year CEOL already secured by CleanTech Lithium for Laguna Verde, noted in our March 2026 coverage, materially de‑risks the Chilean permitting and tenure side of a project with a 25‑year mine life, which is a key differentiator versus other Latin American lithium projects still awaiting contract structures.

    With initial capex of $748 million for Laguna Verde and a downstream plant in Copiapó, the implied capital intensity looks competitive against several other greenfield lithium brine projects in our database, suggesting the economics can likely absorb moderate cost inflation or schedule slippage and still remain financeable.

    Chile’s recent push to advance multiple CEOLs for salars such as Ascotán and Piedra Parada, alongside Laguna Verde, signals that CleanTech Lithium may face a tighter future labour and services market in the country’s lithium sector, especially around Copiapó where several lithium and gold projects already compete for skilled contractors.

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    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

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