RNS Number : 2885B
CleanTech Lithium PLC
30 January 2024
30 January
2024
CleanTech Lithium PLC ("CleanTech Lithium" or
the "Company")
Positive DLE Process Test Work Leads to
Adsorbent Selection for Pilot Plant
CleanTech Lithium PLC (AIM:CTL, Frankfurt:T2N, OTCQX:CTLHF) an
exploration and development company advancing lithium projects in Chile, reports the results of
recent completed Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) process test work.
The positive results have informed the selection and ordering of
the lithium adsorbent to be used in the Company´s pilot plant,
which has finished construction at the Company´s R&D Centre in
Copiapó and is in the process of being commissioned and
tested.
DLE Process Work
Highlights:
· Extensive Direct Lithium Extraction
(DLE) work undertaken in 2023 to optimise the process
· Progress in the process work has
now led to the selection of adsorbent from Xián Lanshen New
Material Technology (Lanshen) as the preferred adsorbent for the
Company´s pilot plant
· Recently completed multi-cycle
tests on Laguna Verde brine produced very positive results for key
DLE metrics: adsorbent capacity, lithium recovery rates, and eluate
composition
· These results are achieved without
pH adjustment in pre-treatment or heating of the brine or eluant,
with distilled water used for desorption
Process
Test
|
Result
|
Comment
|
Pre-treatment
|
Filtering only
|
No pH adjustment required
|
Adsorption recovery rate
|
>95%
|
|
Desorption recovery rate
|
>95%
|
|
Lithium Loading Capacity
|
3.5g Li per kg
|
Target is 4.6g Li per kg
|
Eluate
Composition
|
|
|
Li Concentration Factor
|
>3X
|
|
Na
|
<100mg/l
|
Very low
|
TDS
|
<4,000mg/l
|
Very low
|
· The results indicate that brine
from Laguna Verde has low contaminants and is conducive to DLE
· The Company´s dedicated DLE testing
laboratory in Antofagasta, Chile, has played an important role in
testing adsorbents
· Lanshen is a leader in DLE and has
signed an agreement with Koch Technology Solutions (Koch), a
subsidiary of Koch Industries (USA), to exclusively distribute
Lanshen adsorbent for Koch´s DLE process in the North American and
European markets
· The Company´s pilot plant has now
been filled with Lanshen adsorbent and is in the latter stages of
commissioning
Commenting, Aldo
Boitano, Chief Executive Officer, of CleanTech Lithium PLC,
said:
"The DLE sector is
rapidly evolving, we are seeing developments from several companies
all around the world to advance the production of lithium. Our trip
to China towards the end of last year was enlightening, we were
able to see on the ground the remarkable opportunity DLE provides
for the lithium sector and the adoption of electric vehicles and
clean energy storage solutions.
Informed by the
results we have announced today, our DLE pilot plant has now been
loaded with Lanshen's adsorbent, and plant commissioning is in
process. This is a significant milestone for the Company as we aim
to achieve process and product verification in 2024."
Process Work
Progress Update
CleanTech Lithium´s process team is comprised of
lithium process experts in Chile with additional expertise provided
by DLE sector consultants Peter Ehren and Forward Water
Technologies. DLE process trials have been completed with a
multitude of adsorbent* suppliers, from
emerging technologies to established petrochemical companies, both
at supplier facilities and at the Company´s dedicated DLE testing
laboratory in Antofagasta, Chile. Globally, China has a significant
presence in the DLE sector with five or more commercial scale
adsorbent suppliers, all of which were visited by CleanTech Lithium
in October 2023.
At the Company´s laboratory, a series of tests were
carried out starting with beaker tests, then single column tests
and finally multi-cycle tests using a multi-valve carousal unit.
The in-house testing has given CTL the ability to directly compare
different adsorbents and to verify adsorbent performance data from
trials conducted at supplier facilities. A laboratory scale trial
on a Lanshen carousal unit in Santiago, Chile, is shown in Figure
1.
* Adsorbent and resin are interchangeable terms in
the DLE sector
Figure 1: A laboratory scale trial on a Lanshen
carousal unit (Santiago, Chile)
Selection of
Adsorbent for Pilot Plant
DLE process test-work produces data on the key
performance metrics for a DLE adsorbent being adsorption and
desorption recovery rates, lithium loading capacity, the
composition of the eluate which is based on the selectivity for
lithium versus other ions, along with water use and durability of
the adsorbent. The Company´s 2023 process test-work led to the
selection of an adsorbent supplied by Lanshen for the pilot plant
testing.
Lanshen is one of the largest DLE adsorbent suppliers
in China with a lithium adsorbent manufacturing capacity of
8,000m3. Major shareholders of Lanshen include Softbank,
Minmetals and CICC Capital. In the North American and European
markets, Lanshen has an exclusive agreement with Koch under which
Lanshen adsorbent is used in Koch´s Li-Pro DLE process. Koch
Industries is the second largest private company in the USA with
annual revenue of US$125 billion in 2023. Lanshen has a strong
commitment to working in Chile where it has a testing facility and
pilot plant located in Santiago, which has facilitated cooperation.
The Lanshen pilot plant includes all unit processes from DLE
through to lithium carbonate production. In October 2023, CleanTech
Lithium visited Lanshen´s operating commercial DLE unit in China,
which has achieved an impressive operating performance extracting
lithium directly from raw brine.
|
|
Figure 2: Lanshen Pilot Unit in Santiago
Figure 3: Lanshen
Commercial DLE Unit in China
Positive Results
from Recently Completed Trials
The Company has completed 10 trials at the Lanshen
testing and pilot facilities in Santiago, with the results of the
latest trial presented in the Table below. Parameters such as the
flow rates of feed brine are still being optimised and certain
results such as lithium loading capacity are expected to increase
further.
The Company views the results as being very positive
and the performance of the Lanshen adsorbent has been superior to
other adsorbents tested. This further considers that no pH
adjustment is needed to pre-treat brine via adding an acid or base,
and the brine and eluant is not required to be heated to a high
temperature as is the case with a number of adsorbents from other
suppliers. While heating of brine and eluant improves kinetics and
therefore adsorbent performance, using such absorbent would need to
be weighed with the additional Capex and operating cost of heating
the large volume of feed brine and eluant. As with other alumina
hydroxide based adsorbents, water is used as the desorption eluant
as opposed to acidic eluants used in some other DLE processes.
Process
Test
|
Result
|
Comment
|
Pre-treatment
|
Filtering only
|
No pH adjustment required
|
Adsorption recovery rate
|
>95%
|
|
Desorption recovery rate
|
>95%
|
|
Lithium Loading Capacity
|
3.5g Li per kg
|
Target is 4.6g Li per kg
|
Eluate
Composition
|
|
|
Li Concentration Factor
|
>3X
|
|
Na
|
<100mg/l
|
Very low
|
TDS
|
<4,000mg/l
|
Very low
|
Table 1: Lanshen Multi-Cycle Test Summary of
Key Results
Lanshen uses a double layered alumina hydroxide
adsorbent, the only commercially proven DLE adsorbent. For an
alumina hydroxide based adsorbent there are several contaminants
that affect adsorption or desorption performance, with the key ones
typically being silica, arsenic, manganese, and total organic
carbon (TOC). Laguna Verde brine has an average Total dissolved
solids (TDS) of approximately 140g/l which is among the lowest TDS
of any JORC or NI43-101 compliant lithium brine resource in Chile
or Argentina, with the key contaminants described above also being
low. This is one reason the test work has produced good results
without pre-treatment of the brine in the form of pH adjustment
(addition of acid/base) or a large heat input for feed brine or
eluant.
The Lanshen adsorbent has very high selectivity for
lithium versus the other major ions in the brine with the eluate
showing very low sodium (Na) (rejection over 99%) and other major
ions, resulting in a low TDS eluate. This is highly conducive to
the following process steps of concentration using reverse osmosis
(RO) and forward osmosis (FO), and remaining impurity removal via
nanofiltration (NF) and ion exchange (IX) to produce a concentrated
lithium chloride solution. The lower the TDS in the eluate, the
more efficient and larger the concentration factor achieved by RO
and FO, while NF and IX efficiency is a function of the level of
impurities in the concentrated eluate, being ions other than
lithium and chloride.
2024 Process
Test-work - DLE Pilot Plant
The Company is now focused on finishing the
commissioning and testing of the pilot plant to optimise the DLE
process and produce high quality lithium chloride eluate for
conversion to battery grade lithium carbonate. Construction is
complete with all columns now loaded with Lanshen resin and
commissioning is continuing. Process conditions were required to be
adjusted and optimised for the Lanshen adsorbent that has a higher
adsorption capacity than the Sunresin adsorbent for which the pilot
plant was designed. Adsorption capacity is important as higher
adsorption capacity will require a smaller DLE plant resulting in
lower capex for the DLE plant. The Company will be updating the
market on pilot plant progress on an ongoing basis.
|
|
|
Figure 4: CTL's pilot plant at the Company´s
R&D Centre in Copaipó. The blue columns (approx. 2.5 metres
tall x 30) are loaded with Lanshen's resin. The green bioplastic
vessels on the right will feed the columns with brine from Laguna
Verde. Figure 5: Puritech technicians on site during the
construction phase - late December 2023
Figure 5: Puritech technicians on site during the
construction phase - late December 2023
Glossary of
Terms
Term
|
Abbreviation
|
Total Organic Carbon
|
TOC
|
Total Dissolved Solids
|
TDS
|
Sodium
|
Na
|
Reverse Osmosis
|
RO
|
Forward Osmosis
|
FO
|
Nanofiltration
|
NF
|
Competent Persons
The following professional acts as
qualified person, as defined in the AIM Note for Mining, Oil and
Gas Companies (June 2009) and JORC Code
(2012):
· Marcelo Bravo: Chemical Engineer (Universidad Católica del
Norte), has a Master's Degree in Engineering Sciences major in
Mineral Processing, Universidad de Antofagasta. He currently works
as a Senior Process Consulting Engineer at the Ad-Infinitum
company. Mr Bravo has relevant experience in researching and
developing potassium, lithium carbonate, and solar
evapo-concentration design processes in Chile, Argentina, and
Bolivia. Mr Bravo, who has reviewed and approved the information
contained in the chapters relevant to his expertise contained in
this announcement, is registered with No. 412 in the public
registry of Competent Persons in Mining Resources and Reserves per
the Law of Persons Competent and its Regulations in force in Chile.
Mr Bravo has sufficient experience relevant to the metallurgical
tests and the type of subsequent processing of the extracted brines
under consideration and to the activity being carried out to
qualify as a competent person, as defined in the JORC Code.
Mr Bravo consents to the inclusion in the press
release of the matters based on his information in the form and
context in which it appears.
The information communicated within
this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as
stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No 596/2014
which is part of UK law by virtue of the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018. Upon publication of this announcement, this
inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
The person who arranged for the release of this announcement on
behalf of the Company was Gordon Stein, Director and
CFO.
For further
information contact:
|
|
|
|
CleanTech Lithium
PLC
|
|
|
Aldo Boitano/Gordon Stein
|
Jersey office: +44 (0) 1534 668 321
Chile office: +562-32239222
|
|
|
Or via Celicourt
|
|
Celicourt
Communications
|
+44 (0) 20 7770 6424
|
|
Felicity Winkles/Philip Dennis/Ali AlQahtani
|
cleantech@celicourt.uk
|
|
Dr. Reuter Investor
Relations
Dr. Eva Reuter
|
+49 69 1532 5857
|
|
Harbor Access -
North America
Jonathan Paterson/Lisa Micali
|
+1 475 477 9401
|
|
Porter Novelli -
Chile
Ernesto Escobar
|
+569 95348744
Ernesto@publicoporternovelli.cl
|
|
Beaumont Cornish
Limited
(Nominated
Adviser)
Roland Cornish/Asia Szusciak
|
+44 (0) 207 628 3396
|
|
Canaccord Genuity
(Joint Broker)
James Asensio
|
+44 (0) 207 523 4680
|
|
|
|
|
Fox-Davies Capital
Limited (Joint Broker)
|
+44 20 3884 8450
|
|
Daniel Fox-Davies
|
daniel@fox-davies.com
|
|
Beaumont Cornish Limited ("Beaumont Cornish") is the
Company's Nominated Adviser and is authorised and regulated by the
FCA. Beaumont Cornish's responsibilities as the Company's Nominated
Adviser, including a responsibility to advise and guide the Company
on its responsibilities under the AIM Rules for Companies and AIM
Rules for Nominated Advisers, are owed solely to the London Stock
Exchange. Beaumont Cornish is not acting for and will not be
responsible to any other persons for providing protections afforded
to customers of Beaumont Cornish nor for advising them in relation
to the proposed arrangements described in this announcement or any
matter referred to in it.
Notes
CleanTech Lithium (AIM:CTL) is an
exploration and development company, advancing the next generation of sustainable lithium projects
in Chile. The Company's mission is to produce material quantities of battery grade lithium by 2024,
with near zero carbon emissions and low environmental
impact, offering the EU EV market a green
lithium supply solution.
CleanTech Lithium has two
prospective lithium projects - Laguna Verde and
Francisco Basin projects located in the lithium triangle, the world's centre for battery grade lithium
production. They are situated within
basins entirely controlled by the Company, which affords
significant potential development and operational advantages.
The projects have direct
access to excellent infrastructure and renewable power.
CleanTech Lithium is committed to using renewable
power for processing and reducing the environmental impact of its
lithium production by utilising Direct Lithium Extraction. Direct
Lithium Extraction is a transformative technology which only removes lithium from brine, with higher recoveries
and purities. The method offers short development lead
times, low upfront capex, with no extensive site construction and
no evaporation pond development so there is no water depletion from
the aquifer or harm to the local environment.
**ENDS**
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