U.S. Department of Energy Selects Lilac Solutions for $100M Award for Great Salt Lake Lithium Project
OAKLAND, Calif., August 20, 2026 — Lilac Solutions, a leading provider of direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology, today announced that it has been selected (through a wholly-owned subsidiary) for a $100 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The award, made by the Manufacturing Deployment Office, part of DOE’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI), is designed to increase the domestic supply of critical minerals and materials for advanced batteries, and will support construction of Lilac’s Phase 1 lithium production facility on the Great Salt Lake in Utah, positioning it to become one of the first new sources of domestic lithium supply. The award is subject to completion of final negotiations with DOE.
The Great Salt Lake project is one of the fastest and most credible paths to new domestic lithium production. Phase 1 will produce 5,000 tonnes per year of battery-grade lithium carbonate by 2028, doubling current U.S. lithium production, with a clear path to 20,000 tonnes per year via a Phase 2 expansion, enough to support approximately 30 gigawatt-hours of domestic battery manufacturing annually.
The project is at an advanced stage of development with a binding offtake agreement for 100% of planned production, successful completion of a pilot plant and FEL‑3 engineering, permitting nearing completion, and major project partners secured including Hatch and JordProxa.
The project establishes a fully domestic supply chain: Lilac’s technology is designed and engineered in California, the IX media core to the extraction process is manufactured at Lilac’s facility in Nevada, and the brine resource is in Utah.
The project will extract lithium from brine pumped directly from the lake using Lilac’s Gen 5 ion exchange (IX) technology and return the lithium-depleted brine in equal volume, a non-consumptive process that does not lower lake water levels. The project will generate local tax revenues and royalties to support lake preservation and create jobs in Utah.
“The Department of Energy’s support for this project underscores how important domestic lithium production is to the country’s energy and industrial future,” said Raef Sully, Chief Executive Officer of Lilac. “This selection reflects the commercial readiness of our project, technology, and team, and this grant will help bring a significant new domestic lithium source online in the near term. We look forward to continuing to partner with the DOE’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, the State of Utah, and the local communities to advance this project.”
About Lilac Solutions
Lilac’s direct lithium extraction technology unlocks brine resources that were previously out of reach, to scale lithium supply for global electrification. Lilac’s ion exchange technology enables high lithium recovery with minimal water use and no evaporation ponds, providing a sustainable alternative to conventional extraction methods. Lilac’s technology has been proven through multiple pilot and demonstration plants globally and is now advancing to commercial scale. Lilac is headquartered in Oakland, California, with manufacturing in Fernley, Nevada. Learn more at lilacsolutions.com.
Lilac Media Contact:
Elizabeth Pond | VP of Communications & Brand, Lilac
press@lilacsolutions.com