Gradiant, a global provider of advanced water and resource recovery solutions, announced that its lithium business, alkaLi, will design, build, own, and operate a commercial lithium production facility in the Marcellus Shale Formation of Pennsylvania. This site will be the first in the world to extract, concentrate, and convert (EC²) lithium in a fully integrated, end-to-end process using lithium sourced from oilfield-produced water.
The Pennsylvania facility is being developed to support the growing demand for domestic battery-grade lithium carbonate used in electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESS).
Gradiant’s alkaLi business owns and operates the facility, including equipment, land, water and mineral rights, and permitting. This vertically integrated model secures long-term US lithium supply while helping avoid permitting delays that often affect critical mineral projects.
This announcement builds on last year’s launch of alkaLi’s EC² platform, which demonstrated a minimum 95% lithium recovery rate. The system has already met early benchmarks, including 97% lithium recovery from produced water and 99.5% purity for battery-grade lithium carbonate. Full commercial operations are expected in early 2026.
alkaLi has signed a multi-year offtake agreement to supply up to 5,000 metric tonnes annually of battery-grade lithium carbonate to a U.S. lithium-ion battery manufacturer serving the EV and ESS markets. This agreement reflects current market demand and confirms the commercial readiness of the EC² platform.
alkaLi offers several models to support partners and customers:
- Deploy the EC² solution to lithium producers
- Design, build, and operate integrated systems for partners
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Produce and sell lithium from alkaLi-owned assets
alkaLi’s EC² process combines Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE), concentration, and final conversion into one streamlined system. Compared to conventional methods, the process enables:
- Up to 50% lower capital and operating costs
- Modular, pre-engineered systems for rapid deployment
- AI-optimized control and predictive maintenance
- Reduced environmental footprint
- Feedwater flexibility, including geothermal brines, battery recycling, and oilfield produced water
This investment in the Marcellus Shale is intended to contribute to a more resilient domestic battery supply chain and help meet projected lithium demand for EVs and energy storage. Gradiant invites collaboration from prospective customers, partners, and investors interested in applying EC² to lithium extraction projects worldwide.
Filed Under: Batteries, Technology News