Today, a new opportunity is emerging in Alberta that feels both groundbreaking and remarkably familiar: lithium. I’ve been keeping close tabs on Alberta’s quickly evolving lithium story, because it is 1) a unique diversification play that builds on existing strengths and 2) in today’s geopolitical climate, it’s become more apparent than ever that we need to start producing and refining critical minerals here in Canada.

To learn more, I connected with Chris Doornbos, Founder and CEO of E3 Lithium. The Calgary-based company is a leader in applying Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology to the water of oil and gas wells. Chris discusses why Alberta is uniquely positioned to lead the global critical minerals charge. Chris makes a compelling case: lithium from the brine builds on Alberta’s existing energy advantage, leveraging the talent, infrastructure, geographical and even permitting processes that already exist today.

You can watch a video of our conversation here.

Potential in the wastewater

It might come as a surprise (it did to me), but Alberta holds one of the largest lithium resources in the world. Despite this vast potential, Canada currently accounts for less than 0.5% of global production, mostly in the form of raw concentrates shipped overseas for processing.

E3 Lithium’s strategy is to bridge this gap by extracting lithium from the brines of the historic Leduc aquifer—the same formation that started the 1947 oil rush. What the oil and gas industry historically viewed as "wastewater" is now, as Doornbos puts it, "the money."

The company utilizes Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology to separate lithium from the brine, creating a concentrated lithium chloride solution that is then processed into a final battery-ready salt. This approach allows E3 to bypass the traditional "middleman" of overseas processing by producing battery-grade lithium carbonate directly in Alberta. Doornbos describes the operation as essentially a sophisticated water treatment facility, where they extract the lithium, create a salt, dry it, and bag it for direct shipment to battery manufacturers.

Why Alberta has the "lithium advantage"

The most compelling part of the E3 story is how it leverages Alberta’s existing industrial landscape, redeploying a set of skills and resources honed for nearly a century rather than building a new industry from scratch. The talent and infrastructure required are already here; the wells, pipelines, and gas processing facilities used for lithium extraction are nearly identical to those in the oil and gas sector, enabling drilling companies to move seamlessly between oil and lithium projects.

This similarity extends to the regulatory environment, where E3 operates under the same Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) directives for permitting that have been used for decades. Furthermore, the environmental footprint is lower than traditional methods, as E3's closed-loop system results in less than 10% of the land disturbance seen in conventional lithium mines, with sites easily reclaimed to their original state. Alberta’s leadership in carbon capture and storage (CCS) also offers a natural "bolt-on" opportunity, with plans to eventually sequester carbon dioxide from onsite power generation to further lower the product's carbon intensity as revenues grow.

The global stage: security and supply

The timing couldn't be more critical. Today, roughly 75% of processed lithium comes from China. As the G7 and the United States push for secure, local supply chains for critical minerals, Alberta stands out as a reliable and ethical partner.

“E3 can produce about 150,000 tonnes a year [once fully operational across multiple commercial facilities] based on the brine that we have in the ground. That's on par with some of the largest lithium producers on the planet today, to give you a scale, and that's just us. There are other companies working on lithium in Leduc North near Grande Prairie. I think this frames the opportunity pretty well; as we (Alberta) are with oil, we can be with lithium" says Doornbos. This domestic production bypasses the geopolitical risks of shipping raw materials overseas for the final step of processing.

Scaling up in 2026

While the industry may be nascent today, the momentum is real. E3 is currently operating a demonstration facility, with 2026 being the year that E3 goes into commercialization; “setting the table” before building the facility in 2027. This includes working through the permitting process, which has now begun.

As global demand for electric vehicles and massive battery storage systems continues to grow, Alberta’s ability to produce "made-in-Canada" lithium is no longer just an economic diversification story—it’s a major play for global influence and Canada’s economic potential.

Answer to the previous trivia question: President Trump announced the ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs on April 2, 2025.

Today’s trivia question: What is the largest global use of lithium, accounting for 87% of total demand?