POSCO Green River DLE Demo Plant: Anson Deal, 2028 Validation

Anson Resources signed a binding agreement with POSCO Holdings to build and operate a direct lithium extraction demonstration plant at the Green River project in Utah. POSCO will handle engineering, construction, operation, and maintenance. Anson will provide property and brine from the Bosydaba #1 well, plus a $7.2 million facilitation fee.

The deal follows a non-binding MoU signed last month. The demo plant is a scaled-up version of a pilot unit designed to run continuously, mimicking a future commercial facility. POSCO aims to validate DLE at industrial scale by 2028.

DLE technology extracts lithium from brine without evaporation ponds, a method that can cut production time and water use. Other US projects – including Standard Lithium's Arkansas demonstration and Lilac Solutions' pilot in California – are testing similar approaches, though none has reached commercial scale. Anson's facility, if validated, would add a domestic supply route for battery-grade lithium.

The deal adds to the growing list of DLE projects across the US, a technology tracked closely in AlphaScala's broader commodities analysis.

Anson executive chair Bruce Richardson called the agreement a clear vote of confidence.

POSCO said the partnership would "contribute to strengthening the North American lithium supply chain" and that it would use the demo to "evaluate commercialisation pathways for future lithium production."

The demo plant is expected to start operations in 2027. Validation work runs through 2028. During that period, the companies will explore further co-operation, including a potential joint investment in Green River itself.