Lilac Solutions has entered into a 10-year binding offtake agreement with Traxys for lithium carbonate produced at the Great Salt Lake facility in Utah, US.
Under the deal, Traxys will purchase 50,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate over 10 years, representing 100% of the planned phase one production capacity. The agreement is take-or-pay, with agreed pricing mechanisms linked to market indices.
The Great Lake Salt facility is designed to produce 5,000 tonnes per year of battery-grade lithium carbonate, which would nearly double the US’ current lithium carbonate production. Phase two is set to expand, bringing the total capacity to 20,000 tonnes per year.
The project leverages Lilac’s generation five ion exchange technology, which achieved 87% lithium recovery on the lake’s ultra-low-grade brine during pilot plant operations completed in 2025.
Great Lake Salt will use ion exchange media manufactured at Lilac’s Fernley, Nevada facility and will generate local tax revenues and royalties to support lake preservation and create jobs in Utah.
Traxys Managing Director Martim Facada says Lilac’s unique technology and sector experience combined with Traxys’ global market reach and supply chain financing will contribute greatly to bringing the company’s lithium carbonate to market to supply the lithium-ion battery industry.
As reported on the twelfth day of Christmas, lithium demand is accelerating, particularly in China, where electric vehicle output increased 20.3% year-on-year in September 2025 – representing the strongest growth recorded last year.
According to the International Energy Agency, global lithium demand is expected to reach 531,000 tonnes by 2030 – up from 165,000 tonnes in 2023. This surge is primarily driven by the electrification of transportation and the expansion of energy storage systems.
Similarly, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence projects demand to reach 2.4 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent by 2030, nearly 1.8 million tonnes more than current 2025 levels, as Mining.com.au reported.
Lithium production in the US is estimated to be under 5,000 tonnes annually, representing less than 1% of the global production.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Lilac Solutions
