GCICleanTech appoints new CEO, schedules ASX listing for Q1 2025
CleanTech Lithium PLC () has appointed Tony Esplin as chief executive officer designate.
Esplin has over thirty years of experience at international mining companies, including in Latin America, Australasia and Indonesia.
He’s joining CleanTech with immediate effect under a part-time consultancy contract and will subsequently assume the role of chief executive on a full-time basis and become a board director once the company lists on the ASX.
The ASX listing is now due in early 2025, as the company needs to update its prospectus.
Meanwhile, the Company is working towards submitting the Special Lithium Operating Contract (CEOL) for its flagship Laguna Verde project in Chile before the deadline of 31st December 2024.
Significant quantities of battery-grade lithium carbonate will be produced there before the end of the year for potential strategic partners to start product qualification.
"We are delighted that Tony has agreed to join us as CEO, initially under a consultancy arrangement to assist us with our planned ASX listing, and then as our full-time CEO once we commence trading on the ASX,” said Steve Kesler, CleanTech’s executive chairman.
“Tony's experiences of leading challenging international gold and base metal projects of scale through development into production, especially in Latin America, will be invaluable as the company moves our Laguna Verde project forward towards the commercial production of battery grade lithium from 2027 onwards. As a fluent Spanish speaker, he will also be in prime position to engage with the Chilean Government, regulatory bodies and especially the local communities whose continuing support for our projects will be critical to their success.”
View from Vox
Tony Esplin’s experience in managing development projects was obviously key to his appointment, as the company moves towards production at Laguna Verde. There are still one or two hurdles to get over, but the green credentials that the direct lithium extraction process brings, coupled with CleanTech’s extensive dialogue with the local people should help smooth the path. Esplin speaks Spanish too, which can’t hurt. But he’ll have to hit the ground running - following completion of the Laguna Verde pre-feasibility study in the first quarter of 2025, CleanTech will attempt to bring in a strategic partner, negotiate offtake agreements, completing a definitive feasibility-study and put project finance in place. Production is expected by the end of 2027.
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