The operation began on Aug. 29 at the plant located east of Olds, Alta. It derives the critical mineral from salty underground water known as brine instead of traditional hard rock mining. The new facility initially aims to process 20,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium a year with the potential to expand to up to 150,000 tonnes annually, Greg Foofat, E3 investor relations manager told The Logic in an email. (The Logic)

Talking point: The company aims to commercialize its lithium resource by 2026. Demand for lithium, a critical component of EV batteries, has shot up as governments and automakers around the world pledged to go zero-emissions by 2035 and global supplies are under strain. Experts say Alberta’s existing oil and gas drilling infrastructure and expertise makes it an ideal location for the burgeoning lithium brine extraction industry. E3 claims it holds 16 million tonnes of lithium reserves in the province. Last November, the Calgary-based company received $27 million from the federal government’s Strategic Innovation Fund for the pilot project as part of Canada’s effort to build up its battery supply chain.