KBR Secures Contract for Weardale Lithium’s Demonstration Facility in the UK

KBR has been awarded a contract by Weardale Lithium Limited to support one of Europe's most advanced lithium brine extraction demonstration facilities in Eastgate, County Durham, United Kingdom. The facility will extract lithium carbonate from geothermal groundwater sourced from existing production wells, with plans to scale up to a commercial production target of 10,000 tons per annum in the coming years.

Under the agreement, KBR will provide technology licensing and proprietary engineering design for the project. The facility's engineering is based on an integrated technology platform that successfully produced battery-grade lithium carbonate at pilot scale. This approach combines KBR's PureLi technology with Geolith SAS' Li-Capt Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology.

Jay Ibrahim, President of KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions, stated that the collaboration underscores the commitment to sustainable solutions and the growing demand for lithium, a key component in electric vehicles and renewable energy storage.

Weardale Lithium CEO Stewart Dickson noted that the demonstration plant's engineering design phase is now underway, with the first quantities of battery-grade lithium carbonate expected in early 2026. He emphasized the project's potential contribution of over £1 billion to the North East England economy and its recognition in the UK Government's Critical Minerals Strategy.

Geolith SAS President Jean-Philippe Gibaud highlighted the advantages of their Li-Capt technology, which enables highly selective lithium extraction with low-carbon and low-water usage, reinforcing the project's sustainability credentials.

KBR brings extensive experience in the recovery and purification of critical minerals, leveraging over seven decades of expertise in evaporation and crystallization technologies designed to meet stringent environmental regulations.