June 16th, 2025
Saltworks Technologies is proud to announce the kickoff of Project Aurora alongside EMP Metals Corp. Project Aurora is an integrated effort to increase the competitiveness of a lithium brine-to-battery chemicals supply chain in Canada.
Aurora will advance and demonstration-test a new approach through a complete, continuous-flow lithium refining system—from raw brine-to-battery chemicals. The project’s goals are to simplify lithium production, lower costs, and de-risk scale-up while leveraging partnerships, technology, and simplification.
Saltworks will design, build, and operate a modular Hub-and-Spoke demonstration plant, connected to EMP Metals’ groundbreaking horizontal lithium well and brine handling facility. The wellhead-connected production spokes will convert raw brine into refined and concentrated lithium chloride. This ultra-low-volume, lithium-rich solution will then be transported to a central conversion hub, where battery chemicals are produced. EMP Metals’ Viewfield asset in Saskatchewan will host the demonstration plant spoke, while Saltworks will host the demonstration plant hub.
“EMP Metals has a standout team and track record,” said Benjamin Sparrow, CEO of Saltworks Technologies. “Together, we are committed to contributing positively to lithium brine refining advancements alongside others in the sector. To enhance the competitiveness of lithium brine production in North America and Europe, we believe this requires process simplification, cost reduction, and optimization through a complete system view—from brine in the ground to battery chemicals produced. The goal is to establish a blueprint for repeatable, modular, and high-performing distributed lithium plants that can be delivered rapidly and at a lower total installed cost. Saltworks built its successful industrial desalination business and value for customers based on a similar model.”
Paul Schubach, COO of EMP Metals, commented, “EMP Metals has significantly de-risked our Viewfield lithium brine asset through comprehensive pilot testing and innovative well development. This collaboration with Saltworks to design and operate the Hub-and-Spoke demonstration plant is the next critical milestone in advancing our path toward commercial-scale lithium production. Saltworks’ expertise in refining technology and system integration is expected to enhance operational efficiency, reduce capital and operating costs, and strengthen the overall economics of our lithium project.”
For more details on EMP Metals’ Viewfield project, please refer to their news release dated May 29, 2025.
Saltworks Technologies would like to thank the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) and Natural Resources Canada’s Critical Minerals Research, Development, and Demonstration Program (CMRDD) for their generous support to advance critical minerals processing technology.
Saltworks Technologies is a leader in the development and delivery of solutions for industrial wastewater treatment and lithium refining. By working with customers to understand their unique challenges and focusing on continuous innovation, Saltworks’ solutions provide best-in-class performance and reliability. From its headquarters in Richmond, BC, Canada, Saltworks’ team designs, builds, and operates full-scale plants, and offers comprehensive onsite and offsite testing services with its fleet of mobile pilots.
Saltworks brings water mining expertise and advanced desalination technologies to our lithium clients, offering solutions for concentrating, refining, and converting low-grade lithium sources to battery-grade product. We offer higher purity and lower energy processing technology, that boosts yield, removes unit operations, and reduces cost.
Saltworks successfully delivered a 3x scaled-up BrineRefine plant to a major semiconductor plant in the USA. This new product offers significantly increased capacity, 3000-4500 m3/day, while maintaining the original 1000-1500 m3/day system’s fully modular design.
Saltworks Technologies is pleased to announce an award of a 600 GPM advanced hydrofluoric acid wastewater (HFW) treatment plant for a prominent U.S. semiconductor manufacturer.
In 2024, Saltworks focused on installing full-scale lithium recovery systems in battery plants while developing novel solutions the lithium extractive industry needs. In the extractive space, Saltworks focused on enabling lower-cost direct lithium extraction (DLE) through robust and cost-effective methods to pre-condition upstream of DLE and to concentrate, refine, and convert (CRC) DLE eluates into battery chemicals.