International Battery Metals Ltd. (IBAT), based in Plano, Texas, commenced operations at the first commercial modular direct lithium extraction (DLE) facility in North America in July 2024, co-located with US Magnesium LLC near Salt Lake City, Utah. The facility extracts lithium chloride from a byproduct magnesium chloride and lithium chloride brine using IBAT's proprietary Modular Direct Lithium Extraction (MDLE) technology, which selectively extracts lithium ions via absorption with a proprietary crystal structure. The company was founded by John Burba, the inventor of the first lithium absorbent and designer of the world's first DLE plant in 1998.

IBAT's modular system achieves lithium recovery rates of up to 95 percent and can be deployed in approximately 18 months from start of construction, compared to five to seven years for a conventional stick-built facility. The modular design is brine-agnostic and scalable, with multiple units linkable to match a given resource. In late 2025, IBAT signed an 18-month exclusive collaboration agreement with a major Middle East energy services provider to pursue DLE opportunities in the region. IBAT joins Fastmarkets Global Lithium, Battery & Critical Materials in Las Vegas in June 2026 as a sponsor.