Highlights Of The Program
2 days business program:
Learn from real-world case studies by industry leaders.
SHOWCASING INNOVATION:
Discover the latest technology and techniques from across the industry.
leaders talk:
Hear from top-level experts about how to stay ahead in a fast-changing industry.
MULTIPLE STREAMS:
A business program that is multi-disciplinary, giving you a broad view of the industry.
SMART TECHNOLOGIES:
Explore the latest smart and AI-driven solutions, and see how they can be used in your business.
roundtable discussion:
Join talks with industry peers. Share ideas, make connections, and find new partners.
Program 2026
DAY 1 :
MONDAY, JUNE 8, 2026
08:00 - 09:00
REGISTRATION AND MORNING REFRESHMENTS
09:00 - 09:10
OPENING ADDRESS
09:10 - 09:35
DIRECT LITHIUM EXTRACTION: TAILORED TECHNOLOGIES FOR HIGHER YIELD AND PURITY
Tirtha Chatterjee
DuPont
- Integrated DLE process pathways combining sorbents, ion exchange, and membrane technologies
- Divalent ion removal approaches supporting consistent high-purity lithium product output
- Efficient dewatering steps enabling higher lithium concentration and improved sorbent productivity
- Sequence-driven and data-backed design insights, reducing complexity and accelerating commercialization
09:35 - 09:40
Q&A SESSION ON IMPROVING DLE YIELD, PURITY, AND COMMERCIAL READINESS
09:40 - 10:05
ACCELERATING AND DE-RISKING DLE SCALE-UP THROUGH SCIENCE-BASED DIGITAL TWINS
Amit Goda
Siemens Digital Industries Software
- Faster commercialization of DLE technologies through science-based digital twins
- Virtual validation of process performance before capital is committed
- From concept to plant operation: a unified model for scale-up, commissioning, and optimization
10:05 - 10:10
Q&A SESSION ON DIGITAL TWINS FOR DLE SCALE-UP AND OPERATIONS
10:10 - 10:40
SPEED NETWORKING SESSION
- Exchange business cards and get connected in short one-to-one meetings
- Start the conversation to arrange a more formal meeting later on in the conference
- Share your professional background and discuss your biggest business issues – don't forget your business cards!
10:40 - 11:00
MORNING COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
SPONSORED BY HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, LLC
11:00 - 11:30
PANEL DISCUSSION ON SUSTAINABLE LITHIUM EXTRACTION: NAVIGATING COMMERCIAL CHALLENGES AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS
- Strengthening cross-functional collaboration to accelerate strategic initiatives and deliver greater organizational impact
- Advancing DLE sustainability through water efficiency, energy optimization, and innovative process integration technologies
- Focusing on US federal permitting, the Nevada context, Tech Hub guidance, and Tribal consultation engagement
- Evaluating performance criteria and project fundamentals driving scalable and successful DLE deployment
- Assessing operator readiness for evolving ESG regulations and their legal and financial implications
Amit Goda | Siemens Digital Industries Software | Moderator
Fernando Alarcon | AFS Engineering & Consulting
Tirtha Chatterjee | DuPont
Frederick Steinmann | University of Nevada
Craig Brown | Chemionex Inc.
Ross Waters | CGIS (CG Industrial Specialties)
11:30 - 11:55
STUDY OF ELECTROCHEMICAL LITHIUM EXTRACTION FROM DOMESTIC OILFIELD BRINE
Xinge Zhang
National Research Council of Canada
- Commercial adsorbent selection and characterization for lithium recovery applications
- Electrode formulation, fabrication approaches, and electrochemical test platform development
- Test results and parameter studies covering lithium concentration, temperature, and pH
- Adsorbent performance in real oilfield brines and discussion of conclusions and future outlook
11:55 - 12:00
Q&A SESSION ON ADVANCING ELECTROCHEMICAL APPROACHES FOR LITHIUM RECOVERY
12:00 - 12:25
OPTIMIZING DLE PROCESSES WITH ADVANCED MEMBRANES
Josh Dewanaga
Veolia
- Nanofiltration modelling and performance for DLE brine chemistries
- Advanced RO brine concentration to increase concentration levels while lowering energy entitlements
- Insights from recent DLE projects to optimize performance and achieve reliable operations
12:25 - 12:30
Q&A SESSION ON IMPROVING BRINE TREATMENT IN DLE
12:30 - 13:30
NETWORKING LUNCH AND VISITING THE DIRECT LITHIUM EXTRACTION EXHIBITION
13:30 - 13:55
DLE TECH: DELIVERING 20,000 TPA ASSETS FOR 100M USD
Rory Coventry
Geo40 Limited
- Demonstrating how fast-kinetic ion exchange performance reduces capital costs in DLE project development
- Simplifying lithium conversion by producing high-purity concentrated LiCl eluate for downstream processing
- Enabling reliable extraction from complex produced water brines in oil and gas environments
13:55 - 14:00
Q&A SESSION ON REDUCING COSTS AND COMPLEXITY IN DLE PROJECT DELIVERY
14:00 - 14:25
DE-RISKING DLE THROUGH DIGITAL TWINS: SCALING AND OPTIMIZING SMB SYSTEMS
Katherine Ann Wymbs
Summit Lithium Technologies
- Capturing fluid dynamic and process behavior enables DLE digital twins to predict large-scale performance beyond traditional scale-up methods, including dead-volume effects and process non-idealities
- Bench- and pilot-scale SMB data enable model tuning and validation, improving predictive accuracy across scales
- Virtual commercial optimization reduces risk, identifies the lowest levelized cost designs, and balances purity, recovery, water use, concentration, and sorbent efficiency
14:25 - 14:30
Q&A SESSION ON ENHANCING PERFORMANCE AND REDUCING RISKS IN DLE SYSTEMS
14:30 - 14:55
COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS TO BUILD A SHARED NORTH AMERICAN LITHIUM LOOP
Frederick Steinmann
University of Nevada
- Discussing the Nevada Lithium Batteries and EV Materials Loop Regional Tech Hub and its current collaboration with Canada
- Nevada’s role across the lithium value chain, including extraction, processing, manufacturing, recycling, and energy storage
- Shared national security priorities and the supply-chain resilience benefits of a coordinated North American approach
- Enabling requirements, covering workforce development and engagement with Tribal, Indigenous, and First Nations partners
14:55 - 15:00
Q&A SESSION ON CROSS-BORDER INVESTMENT FOR BATTERY MATERIALS
15:00 - 15:30
AFTERNOON COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
15:30 - 15:55
FROM PILOT TO COMMERCIAL: VALIDATING NEXT-GENERATION LITHIUM EXTRACTION USING NANOTECHNOLOGY
Ghada Nafie
Litus Inc.
- Leveraging pilot results to achieve up to 99% lithium recovery from produced water brines at scale
- Deploying modular scale-up strategies integrating process design with operational and economic viability
- Defining cost drivers, revenue potential, and pathways to scale profitability for commercial deployment
15:55 - 16:00
Q&A SESSION ON SCALING NANOTECH LITHIUM EXTRACTION SOLUTIONS
16:00 - 16:25
LiEX: A NEW, HIGH-PERFORMANCE DLE PROCESS
Craig Brown
Chemionex Inc.
- Examining the LiEX single-column fixed-bed design as a simplified approach to direct lithium extraction operations
- Over 99% lithium recovery alongside excellent impurity separation for high-purity results
- High-flow-rate performance that concentrates low-grade brines into higher-concentration lithium product solutions
16:25 - 16:30
Q&A SESSION ON TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE DIRECT LITHIUM EXTRACTION
16:30 - 16:55
TELESCOPE INNOVATIONS: AUTOMATED SOLUTIONS FOR DLE SORBENT TESTING AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
Ryan Jansonius
Telescope Innovations Corp.
- Introducing Telescope – a leader in laboratory automation solutions
- Automated hardware solutions for DLE sorbent testing, compatible with batch and column workflows
- Reviewing experimental design capabilities supporting sorbent optimization and benchmarking
16:55 - 17:00
Q&A SESSION ON INDUSTRIALIZING Li₂S FOR FUTURE BATTERY DEMAND
17:00 - 18:00
NETWORKING DRINKS RECEPTION
DAY 2 :
TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2026
09:00 - 09:30
MORNING REFRESHMENTS
09:30 - 09:40
OPENING ADDRESS
09:40 - 10:05
ENABLING SUSTAINABLE LITHIUM PRODUCTION THROUGH ELECTROLYSIS INTEGRATION
Kira Wilting
NORAM Electrolysis Systems Inc.
- Proposing electrolysis integration as a sustainable alternative to conventional lithium refining
- Lowering emissions and reducing reagent use, improving efficiency through enhanced chemical circularity
- Electrolysis aligned with DLE processes, supporting scalable and more sustainable lithium production
10:05 - 10:10
Q&A SESSION ON ENHANCING LITHIUM SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH PROCESS INNOVATION
10:10 - 10:35
COMMERCIAL LITHIUM EXTRACTION ECONOMICS FOR NORTH AMERICA
Ron Lincz
Avonlea
- Providing an overview of the ACCELi process and its role in recovering lithium and other critical minerals from varied brine sources
- Highlighting the system’s key advantages, including modular scalability, lower capital intensity, and flexible deployment
- Insights from the Pennsylvania pilot program, highlighting performance data, recovery rates, and operational learnings
- Commercial plant configuration and project economics, detailing cost structure and market potential
10:35 - 10:40
Q&A SESSION ON LITHIUM RECOVERY AND COST DRIVERS
10:40 - 11:00
MORNING COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
SPONSORED BY FERRUM PROCESS SYSTEMS, INC.
11:00 - 11:25
BENCH AND PILOT TESTING OF IONIC LIQUID DLE FROM CANADIAN OILFIELD BRINE
Xiaomeng Wang
Natural Resources Canada (CanmetENERGY)
- Harnessing ionic liquid chemistry to selectively extract lithium from complex Canadian oilfield brine streams with high-impurity loads
- Refining critical operating parameters at bench-scale to establish stable, reproducible conditions for ionic liquid DLE performance
- Validating a continuous-flow pilot column design as a pathway toward scalable field deployment of ionic liquid lithium recovery
11:25 - 11:30
Q&A SESSION ON IONIC LIQUID APPROACHES TO LITHIUM BRINE RECOVERY
11:30 - 11:55
DEVELOPMENT OF DLE TECHNOLOGY USING MANGANESE-BASED ADSORBENTS
Takuya Kaseyama
Sumitomo Metal Mining
- Describing lithium manganate adsorbents synthesized through a wet method with high lithium adsorption capacity
- Pilot-scale process verified for selective lithium recovery from high-impurity and sulphuric acid brines
- Multi-column approach enabling efficient lithium recovery from brine at above 90%
- Improving operational efficiency by producing reagents in-plant and recycling water within the process
11:55 - 12:00
Q&A SESSION ON ADVANCED SOLUTIONS FOR HIGH-EFFICIENCY LITHIUM RECOVERY METHODS
12:00 - 12:25
VALVE SPECIFICATION FOR DLE PROJECTS IN LIGHT OF DIMINISHING VALVE EXPERTISE
Ross Waters
CGIS (CG Industrial Specialties)
- Addressing the decline in valve expertise and the risks of relying on legacy specifications
- Wide-ranging valve performance demands across DLE process streams, from simple to highly demanding applications
- Collaboration between EPCs, owners, and valve experts is essential to reduce failures
12:25 - 12:30
Q&A SESSION ON PRACTICAL VALVE SELECTION FOR DLE SYSTEMS
12:30 - 12:45
FEEDBACK AND RAFFLE DRAW
12:45 - 14:00
NETWORKING LUNCH
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