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EMP Metals Reaches Critical Milestone as Project Aurora Moves Toward Commercial Lithium Production

Construction complete, commissioning underway, and a year of operational data could pave the way for Saskatchewan’s next lithium producer.
VANCOUVER, Canada, August 07, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- EMP Metals Corp. (CSE: EMPS) (OTC: EMPPF) has reached an important milestone in the development of its Project Aurora lithium brine project in southeast Saskatchewan, announcing on August 5, 2026, that construction of its demonstration plant is complete and commissioning is approximately 50% finished.
For Canadian investors watching the domestic critical minerals sector, the announcement represents more than another construction update. It marks the transition from building infrastructure to generating the operational data needed to advance toward commercial production, a key derisking phase for any resource development company.
In an interview with Boreal Markets, EMP Metals COO Paul Schubach said the company remains on track for a third-quarter startup and is now focused on integrating the facility with its production and disposal wells before beginning sustained operations.
“Our focus right now is on commissioning,” Schubach said. “We’re working through pulling fresh, direct wellhead-connected brine into the facility and are trending toward a Q3 startup as initially scheduled.”
Why the Direct Wellhead Connection Matters
One of the most significant aspects of Project Aurora is that the demonstration plant is connected directly to both the production and disposal wells, something Schubach believes could make it one of the first facilities of its kind in Canada.
Unlike traditional pilot plants, which often rely on brine collected and stored over days or weeks before testing, Aurora will process fresh brine directly from the reservoir under continuous operating conditions.
That distinction is important because it provides a much more accurate representation of how a future commercial operation will perform.
“The direct wellhead connection gives you the most realistic representation of what your brine is going to be as you process it through a scaled-up facility,” Schubach explained.
For investors, this means the data generated over the coming year should better reflect real-world economics than conventional batch testing.
A Major Derisking Step
The demonstration plant is expected to operate for approximately 12 months, collecting technical and operational data that will feed directly into the company’s commercial development plans.
According to Schubach, the program is designed to answer some of the biggest questions investors typically have before a mining project reaches production.
Among the key objectives are:
Establishing more accurate operating costs
Refining capital cost estimates for a commercial facility
Optimizing equipment selection and process design
Understanding long-term operating performance using live reservoir brine
Together, those results will support EMP Metals’ next feasibility study while reducing uncertainty ahead of a final investment decision (FID).
“The data and learnings that we’ll gather are going to help derisk the commercial scale-up,” Schubach said. “They’re going to provide more certainty on both operating costs and the capital equipment required.”
Investors Should Expect a News-Rich Period
With construction largely complete, EMP Metals is entering a phase where operational updates are likely to become the primary catalysts.
Over the coming months, investors could see announcements related to:
Demonstration plant startup and sustained operations
Operating and recovery performance
Cost and efficiency metrics
Additional subsurface work
Progress toward an updated feasibility study
Advancement toward a final investment decision
Rather than relying on engineering assumptions, much of this work will be supported by operating data generated from the demonstration plant itself.
Saskatchewan’s Competitive Advantage
While lithium projects across North America often focus on resource grade, Schubach believes Saskatchewan’s brine chemistry offers advantages that could prove equally important.
EMP’s brine contains moderate lithium concentrations compared with some U.S. projects, but it also contains significantly fewer contaminants.
That cleaner chemistry simplifies processing and reduces the amount of infrastructure required before lithium extraction can begin.
“It gives us a more efficient pathway toward commercial production,” Schubach said.
The company also believes its development strategy could require substantially less upfront capital than many of the larger direct lithium extraction (DLE) projects currently being proposed.
A Smaller First Step Toward Commercial Production
Rather than immediately targeting a massive operation producing tens of thousands of tonnes annually, EMP Metals is taking a phased approach.
The company’s upcoming feasibility study will focus on a facility capable of producing approximately 6,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) per year, while management is also evaluating an initial commercial operation in the 1,500-tonne-per-year range.
That strategy could significantly reduce initial capital requirements while allowing the company to establish commercial production before pursuing future expansions.
For junior resource companies operating in today’s capital markets, lower initial capital intensity can improve financing flexibility and reduce execution risk.
Why It Matters for Canadian Investors
Canada continues to position itself as a key supplier of critical minerals needed for electric vehicles, energy storage and advanced manufacturing, with both federal and provincial governments prioritising domestic supply chains.
While hard-rock lithium projects have dominated headlines in recent years, Saskatchewan’s lithium-rich brines represent an emerging opportunity that could provide lower-impact production using existing oilfield infrastructure.
Project Aurora’s demonstration plant is an important step in determining whether that opportunity can translate into commercial-scale production.
For EMP Metals, the months ahead will be defined less by construction milestones and more by operational performance.
If the demonstration plant delivers the results management expects, the company will move into its next feasibility study with significantly more certainty, and one step closer to becoming one of Canada’s next lithium producers.
Watch the interview: EMP Metals Reaches Critical Milestone as Project Aurora Moves Toward Commercial Lithium Production
Read the original article: EMP Metals’ Saskatchewan Lithium Project Reaches Demonstration Plant Commissioning
About EMP Metals Corp.
EMP Metals Corp. is a Canadian-based lithium exploration and development company focused on large-scale resources using direct lithium extraction (DLE). EMP currently holds over 205,000 net acres (83,000 hectares) of Subsurface Dispositions and strategic wellbores in Southern Saskatchewan. For more information, visit empmetals.com.
About Boreal Markets
Boreal Markets exists to give Canadian retail investors the same quality of financial intelligence that institutional desks take for granted. We cover the markets, sectors, and companies that matter to Canadians the TSX, TSX-V, CSE, Bitcoin, precious metals, oil, and the junior mining and biotech companies that define Canada's growth exchanges. Learn more at borealmarkets.com.
Disclaimer
This article was produced on behalf of EMP Metals Corp., and SmallCap Communications Inc., which owns BorealMarkets.com, was compensated by EMP Metals Corp. for its production. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. SmallCap Communications Inc. is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.
Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management’s current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. EMP Metals Corp. cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond EMP Metals Corp.’s control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to EMP Metals Corp.’s limited operating history, ability to obtain sufficient financing to carry out its exploration and development objectives on its mineral properties, obtaining the necessary permits to carry out its activities and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, EMP Metals Corp. undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.
Disseminated by SmallCap Communications Inc. on behalf of EMP Metals Corp.
Media Contact
SmallCap Communications Inc.
 rebecca@smallcapcommunications.com
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 SOURCE: EMP Metals Corp.

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