Calgary-based cleantech company Litus has deployed its first lithium extraction pilot unit in the field, a major milestone in the commercialization of its patented Litus LiNC technology.
Litus was recently named Venture of the Year at the 2024 Alberta Cleantech Awards by Foresight, underscoring Alberta’s growing role in sustainable critical mineral development.
Litus LiNC is a one-step, direct lithium extraction (DLE) system that uses proprietary nanotechnology to recover lithium from brine with up to 99.5% efficiency and 99% impurity rejection—even in low-concentration sources.
The pilot follows the commissioning of Litus’s in-house nanomaterial production facility in Calgary, validated over 20 months and capable of scaling output 500x daily.
“We are confident in our technology and our unique ability to extract lithium,” said CEO and co-founder Dr. Ghada Nafie. “This pilot represents a key validation step on our path to commercial deployment.”
Litus’s journey began nearly a decade ago at the University of Calgary, where Nafie and co-founders Dr. Pedro Pereira-Almao and Dr. Gerardo Vitale laid the foundation for what they now call a game-changing clean energy solution.
Founded in 2019 and launched in 2021, Litus has focused on extracting lithium from unconventional sources—such as produced water and geothermal brines—using an efficient, modular system that integrates with existing infrastructure while minimizing energy and water use.
While many DLE startups remain stuck in lab stages, Litus has bridged the gap to real-world deployment. The company says Litus LiNC remains cost-effective even when lithium prices dip, and becomes “unstoppable when prices are high,” according to Nafie.
Litus has earned international attention, landing on the Cleantech 50 to Watch and Foresight 50 lists, and presenting at COP28, ADIPEC, and the Chile-Canada Mining Innovation Summit.
Supported by organizations like SDTC, Emissions Reduction Alberta, NRC-IRAP, Alberta Innovates, and The Firehood, Litus is part of a new wave of Alberta innovators scaling clean energy solutions for global impact.