Technology
Direct Lithium Extraction
Unlocking deep-brine lithium resources
Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) is a proven technology, with established producing projects successfully using DLE in China and South America. Brine is extracted from aquifers and pumped to a processing unit where a resin or adsorption material is used to extract only lithium, while spent brine is reinjected into the basin aquifers with no aquifer depletion and minimal disturbance to the environment. The resin adsorbs lithium chloride (LiCl) molecules onto the surface of the material, which is then stripped using water creating a lithium eluate. This eluate is then further concentrated via reverse osmosis and mechanical evaporation stages before standard industry processes are used to produce battery-grade lithium.
In September 2023, LithiumBank signed an intellectual Property License Agreement with G2L Greenview Resources Inc. for their Direct Lithium Extraction Technology that will be tested at pilot scale to determine its suitability for eventual commercial production.
“This licensing agreement with G2L provides LithiumBank with access to best-in-class direct lithium extraction technology that we expect to have a significant impact on the economics of our Alberta projects. We are pleased to be working with the G2Lithium team who are a 50/50 joint venture with Clean TeQ Water (ASX:CNQ) and Computational Geosciences Inc (CGI), a subsidiary of the Robert Friedland-chaired Ivanhoe Electric Inc. (NYSE:IE). They bring over 20 years of experience in designing and constructing ion exchange systems for commercial water treatment and metal recovery applications. Furthermore, access to G2L’s operational pilot plant will expedite the development of all our projects and provide the necessary information for feasibility assessments.”
Paul Matysek, Executive Chairman – LithiumBank
Lithium Recovery
Utilizing our advanced cDLE technology, we impressively reclaim 99% of lithium within just a few hours.
We are privileged to be the sole providers of an economical, comprehensive, and scalable method for extracting lithium from brine.
The benefits continue to accumulate.
Opex
Utilizing our advanced cDLE® technology, we are able to employ cost effective chemistry in the sorption and desorption of lithium from brines.
The cost of the chemistries are a significant percentage of the overall operating costs of the lithium extraction process1.
cDLE® benefits highlighted in updated LB PEA
Utilizing our advanced cDLE® technology, when compared to conventional DLE, we can make significant improvements to the economics of the LithiumBank Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) of the Boardwalk Project.
LithiumBank Updated PEA
LithiumBank Announces Updated PEA; Significantly Increases Pre-Tax NPV8% to USD 3.7 Billion and Reduces OPEX to USD $4,588 per LCE/T at Flagship Boardwalk Lithium Brine Project, Alberta, Canada
LithiumBank has undertaken testing of the G2L DLE process to determine the suitability of the technology for Boardwalk lithium-rich brine. Test work produced a high-purity eluate with lithium concentrations between 3,000 - 7,000 mg/L (3-7 g/L), with low levels of impurities. Eluate concentrations of Ca, Na and Cl were reduced by 90% when compared with results used in another DLE process which was employed in the existing PEA. Furthermore, the G2L cDLE process also reduced the eluate concentrations of magnesium (Mg) and boron (B) by 38% and 57%, respectively. These results are considered very favourable as higher lithium and lower impurity concentrations in the eluate requires a smaller processing plant post-DLE and may reduce the cost of further impurity removal steps.
Brine used in the G2L test work was collected from Well 100/09-26-068-22WS/OO located in the South Sturgeon Lake oilfield, within the "Production Zone" of the Boardwalk Project and has a reported average grade of 73.8 mg/L Lithium (as previously reported in LithiumBank news release dated June 28, 2022). DLE test work was conducted in Melbourne Australia at the G2L lab facilities where the results and procedures were reviewed by Ms Lisa Parks, Qualified Person ("QP"), as defined by NI 43-101. Samples were analyzed at HRL Technology Group Pty Ltd, a third party, ISO 17025:2017certified lab, in Melbourne Australia. G2L implemented strict Quality Control and Quality Assurance (QA/QC) protocols for the analysis where each batch of analysis included duplicates, blanks, standard reference material, and check lab analysis.
Advantages of cDLE®
Select Test Results
LithiumBank has undertaken testing of the G2L DLE process to determine the suitability of the technology for Boardwalk lithium-rich brine. Test work produced a high-purity eluate with lithium concentrations between 3,000 - 7,000 mg/L (3-7g/L), with low levels of impurities. Eluate concentrations of Ca, Na and Cl were reduced by 90% when compared with results used in another DLE process which was employed in the existing PEA. Furthermore, the G2L cDLE process also reduced the eluate concentrations of magnesium (Mg) and boron (B) by 38% and57%, respectively. These results are considered very favourable as higher lithium and lower impurity concentrations in the eluate requires a smaller processing plant post-DLE and may reduce the cost of further impurity removal steps.
Brine used in the G2L test work was collected from Well 100/09-26-068-22WS/OO located in the South Sturgeon Lake oilfield, within the "Production Zone" of the Boardwalk Project and has a reported average grade of 73.8 mg/L Lithium (as previously reported in LithiumBank news release dated June 28, 2022). DLE test work was conducted in Melbourne Australia at the G2L lab facilities where the results and procedures were reviewed by Ms Lisa Parks, Qualified Person("QP"), as defined by NI 43-101. Samples were analyzed at HRL Technology Group Pty Ltd, a third party, ISO 17025:2017certified lab, in Melbourne Australia. G2L implemented strict Quality Control and Quality Assurance (QA/QC) protocols for the analysis where each batch of analysis included duplicates, blanks, standard reference material, and check lab analysis.
Boardwalk PEA with G2L cDLE
On January 16, 2024, LithiumBank announced the highlights from an updated Preliminary Economic Assessment for its 100%-owned Boardwalk Lithium Brine Project that incorporates G2L’s continuous Direct Lithium Extraction technology. The inclusion of cDLE led to the following improvements:
- Increased lithium recovery of 98% using the G2L’s cDLE® technology
- Increased production to 34,005 tonnes per year of battery grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate over a 20-year period
- A significant reduction of 34% in operational expenditures to USD $4,588 per tonne LHM
- USD $3.7 Billion Net Present Value8 and 25.0% IRR on a pre-tax basis
- USD $2.3 Billion NPV8 and 20.6% IRR on an after-tax basis
- Reduction in the payback period from 4.1 years to 3.5 years, on a pre-tax basis
- Production of high-grade lithium sulphate (Li2SO4) eluate at a concentration of 3,238 mg/L Li (3.24 g/L Li)
- Substitution of lower cost and commercially available reagents
- Majority of acid is recovered in the downstream processing and reused in the elution stage
- Reduction in freshwater usage
