Pursuit Successfully Initiates Lithium Carbonate Production at Rio Grande Sur Project

Pursuit has reached a significant milestone in the development of the Rio Grande Sur Lithium Project, with the successful completion of hydrostatic circuit testing and the commencement of synthetic brine processing. This marks a key step toward commercial-scale lithium production.

Pursuit Managing Director & CEO Aaron Revelle emphasized the importance of this achievement, stating, "Successfully commissioning and initiating lithium carbonate production represents a major step forward in de-risking our processing methodology and proving the commercial viability of our scalable production strategy. With global lithium demand showing signs of recovery, we are firmly positioned to transition toward large-scale, low-cost lithium production."

Commissioning Completion and Process Initiation The commissioning phase, which involved rigorous testing and calibration of plant components, has been completed successfully. Hydrostatic testing validated all plant systems, ensuring operational stability before initiating production. The plant is now processing synthetic brine that chemically mirrors naturally evaporated brines from the Rio Grande Salar, serving as a critical precursor to full-scale operations.

The initial production phase will focus on refining processing efficiencies and optimizing lithium recovery. The first output will include technical-grade lithium carbonate, with subsequent advancements targeting battery-grade quality.

Strategic Importance and Next Steps With production underway, Pursuit is advancing its development strategy, which includes:

• Preparing for the relocation of the 250tpa plant to the Rio Grande Sur site.
• Establishing a framework for large-scale commercial lithium carbonate production.
• Engaging potential off-take partners, with several already requesting product samples.
• Advancing feasibility studies to align production scaling with global lithium demand.

The Rio Grande Sur Lithium Project continues to progress as a potential large-scale, low-cost lithium operation. The completion of this pilot plant commissioning reinforces Pursuit’s long-term vision of becoming a key lithium producer.