Standard Lithium Signs Joint Development Agreement With Koch Technology Solutions

Shared Technology Agreement to Accelerate Commercial Deployment of Standard Lithium’s Projects on an Exclusive Basis

Performance Guarantees for High Levels of Commercial Lithium Extraction from Smackover Brines

EL DORADO, Ark., May 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium” or the “Company”) (TSXV: SLI) (NYSE American: SLI) (FRA: S5L), a leading near-commercial lithium company, is pleased to announce that it has signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with Koch Technology Solutions (KTS), an affiliate of Koch Engineered Solutions, to share data and jointly develop and commercialize integrated lithium brine processing flowsheets for Standard Lithium’s exclusive use in the Smackover Formation. The agreement will further enhance Standard Lithium’s position to build the first U.S. commercial lithium project in several decades and to begin to meet the surging demand for lithium.

Under the JDA, Standard Lithium and KTS will work together to integrate the proprietary KTS Li-Pro Lithium Selective Sorption (LSS) technology into a complete flowsheet solution, and Standard Lithium will have exclusive rights to deploy this technology at any of its projects in the Smackover Formation under a license agreement. KTS will also provide firm performance guarantees for the deployment and operation of the technology at high levels of commercial lithium extraction, allowing Standard Lithium to accelerate the development process cost-efficiently.

Dr. Andy Robinson, President and COO of Standard Lithium, commented, “Today’s announcement is about greater certainty, speed, and choice. The performance guarantees for the KTS Li-Pro technology license will provide significant risk reduction for Standard Lithium and its shareholders; the partnership will help accelerate the Company’s first project to commercial reality; and the exclusivity will allow us to benefit from a second Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology that works with Smackover Formation brines in addition to our own proprietary LiSTR technology.

The joint development relationship will also allow our project execution team to take what we learn from the Demonstration Plant at the LANXESS property in El Dorado, Arkansas, and leverage these insights as we scale to our first commercial facility and continue to develop multiple lithium projects across the Smackover Formation. In addition to the LANXESS Property Project, these include the high-grade brines of our South West Arkansas Project and our expansion into East Texas (see news release dated 28^th March 2023). We are delighted to have KTS as a partner and look forward to a productive relationship.”