← NEWSROOM

Summit Nanotech Announces In-House Demonstration Plant in Santiago to Accelerate Commercial Lithium Projects

August 21, 2025
Press releases

SANTIAGO, CHILE – August 21, 2025 – Summit Nanotech (“Summit”), a leader in direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology, today announced the construction of a commercially representative, in-house demonstration plant at its Santiago facility. This advanced plant is designed to accelerate commercial project design compared to traditional in-field demonstrations, while significantly reducing both time and capital risk.

Installed tankage to receive customer field brine at Summit’s Santiago facility

Set to commence customer brine processing in January 2026, the Santiago demonstration plant will receive tanker deliveries of up to 30 m3 of brine and deliver an asset-specific commercial design report within 2-3 months, depending on test scope and objectives. This report will include:

- Operating parameters with projected lithium recovery rates, impurity rejection rates, water and energy use

- All engineering design factors, including full DLE plant layout, detailed equipment list, and CapEx/OpEx estimates

- Modeling for dynamic brine conditions, including variable flow, temperature, and composition

- Fixed-price, performance-guaranteed proposal for a full-scale denaLi™ DLE plant

Fast-track to FID

By conducting the demonstration in-house, Summit reduces typical in-field demonstration timelines by 75% and demo costs by 90%, giving customers a faster, more cost-effective path to final investment decision (FID).

“Our goal is to de-risk commercial plant design by giving customers everything they need to confidently advance their projects, without the time, complexity, and cost of a field demo,” said Amanda Hall, CEO and Founder of Summit Nanotech. “This is how we drive the industry to scale smarter and faster.”

For lithium developers in Chile, Argentina, or the United States, Summit’s in-house demonstration plant offers a streamlined and technically robust pathway to commercial project development.

DLE Done Right

Summit’s technology is setting the pace for DLE, consistently outperforming alternatives in reliability, efficiency, and economics. Its modular system and high-performance sorbent, engineered in North America, produce high-purity lithium from brines in Chile, Argentina, and the United States, with industry-leading water efficiency.

The company is currently operating a field demonstration plant in Chile and is actively developing sorbent and technology supply agreements for projects over 5 kt/y LCE, with the ability to deliver the full range of plant capacities demanded by the market.

Summit’s in-house demonstration plant will begin processing customer brines in January 2026. Companies interested in testing and validating their lithium assets are encouraged to contact Summit to secure participation.

 

Media Contact

Kristen Gray

Manager, Communications and Investor Relations

kristen.gray@summitnanotech.com

Sales Contact

Rodrigo Mery

Manager, Business Development

rodrigo.mery@summitnanotech.com

Media Relations

Our experienced leadership and cleantech story is exciting and worth sharing. Reach out today for opportunities to collaborate.

Sign up now

Keep in Touch!
Stay connected and receive updates from Summit Nanotech.

Summit Nanotech
10 - 2638 Country Hills Blvd NE
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
T3N 1A7

+1 403-300-6266
info@summitnanotech.com

PRIVACY POLICY © 2018 Summit Nanotech Corporation. All Rights Reserved.