EMP Metals receives final equipment shipment at Project Aurora

Canada NewsWire VANCOUVER, BC , June 24, 2026 /CNW/ - EMP Metals Corp. (CSE: EMPS) (OTCQB: EMPPF) (FSE: 9ST) ("EMP Metals" or the "Company " ) is pleased to announce that the final major process equipment shipment from its technology partner, Saltworks Technologies Inc. ("Saltworks"), has arrived at its Project Aurora Demonstration Plant located within the Company's Viewfield Project Area in Saskatchewan, Canada (see Figure 1). The delivery marks the completion of all major equipment shipments required for Project Aurora, with 100% of the planned process equipment now received on site and on schedule. Installation activities are underway, with equipment being positioned, connected, and integrated into the demonstration facility as construction advances toward completion.

Commissioning activities have also continued to progress on equipment received last month. Mechanical checks, controls integration, and system preparation activities are proceeding according to plan as the Company works toward facility start-up. "We are pleased to have all major equipment now delivered to site and installation progressing as planned," said Karl Kottmeier, CEO of EMP Metals.

"This achievement represents another important milestone for Project Aurora and reflects the strong execution by our team and our partners at Saltworks. With commissioning activities already underway on previously delivered equipment, we remain on schedule for facility start-up in late Q3/Q4 2026." Project Aurora is EMP's integrated, continuous-flow lithium refining demonstration system designed to process ten (10) m³/day of raw brine from wellhead to lithium chemicals. The facility is intended to validate process performance, optimize operating parameters, and generate engineering and economic data to support future commercial-scale development.

Project Aurora represents a joint initiative between EMP Metals and Saltworks Technologies aimed at simplifying lithium brine refining, reducing costs, and de-risking scale-up through a fully integrated system. As part of the collaboration, Saltworks is advancing full-scale plant design and cost estimates for a modular commercial refinery capable of producing more than 3,000 tonnes per year of lithium products, utilizing operational data generated during the demonstration phase. EMP's Saskatchewan brine resource benefits from clean chemistry free of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and oil-derived organics, shallow low-cost drilling, established infrastructure, and a pro-critical minerals regulatory environment.

These advantages position the Company to target an initial commercial production scale of 1,500–3,000 tonnes per year. About EMP Metals EMP 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.

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 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' control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to EMP Metals' 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 undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the information contained herein and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. SOURCE EMP Metals Corp. View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2026/24/c0879.html Canada Newswire June 24, 2026 - 4:55 AM PDT News by QuoteMedia www.quotemedia.com