- Fraunhofer UMSICHT conducted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
for battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) from the
Guben Converter.
- The carbon footprint is calculated to be 10.5 kgCO2-eq./kg
LHM.
- The footprint could be reduced to 5.4
kgCO2–eq./kg LHM through careful commercial selection
of materials and energy suppliers.
- Rock Tech compared the results against an International
Energy Agency (IEA) special report showing a carbon footprint 30
percent lower than the average for LHM from hard rock.
- Beyond the scope of the LCA, upcoming Zero-Waste solutions
will bring further emission-saving potential.
VANCOUVER, BC, May 24, 2023
/CNW/ - Rock Tech Lithium Inc. (TSXV: RCK) (OTCQX:
RCKTF) (FWB: RJIB) (WKN: A1XF0V) (the "Company" or "Rock
Tech") is pleased to share the findings of a Life Cycle Assessment
(LCA) for battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) from
its planned conversion plant in Guben, Germany ("Guben Converter"). The study was
carried out by the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety,
and Energy Technology ("Fraunhofer UMSICHT") in accordance with ISO
14040 (2006) par. 4.3.3 and ISO 14044 (2006) par. 6.2, and was then
critically reviewed by DEKRA, an independent external expert.
According to the LCA base case scenario, the carbon footprint of
battery-grade LHM from Guben is 10.5 kg per kilogram. It also shows
the ability to considerably reduce emissions to 5.4 kg. When
compared against an International Energy Agency (IEA) special
report, Rock Tech's base case footprint for LHM from hard rock is
30 percent lower.
Dirk Harbecke, Chief Executive
Officer of Rock Tech, states, "We want to contribute to
zero-emissions and battery electric vehicles, accepting the
challenge to reduce the environmental impact of our lithium
hydroxide. The LCA shows that we and our partners in the market
have the power to bring about this change through commercial
decisions."
The renowned German Fraunhofer UMSICHT has evaluated the
"cradle-to-gate" environmental impact of battery-grade LHM to be
produced at Rock Tech's Guben Converter, with an emphasis on the
carbon footprint. The base case carbon footprint is projected to be
10.5 kg CO2-eq/kg LHM, encompassing all upstream emissions and an
assumed distance of transit from Australia to Germany.
The main sources of emissions per 1 kilogram of LHM in the LCA
scenarios were attributed to energy supply for the Guben Converter
with 4.3 kg CO2-eq (average grid mix electricity, natural
gas, and steam, excluding transport), mining and concentration of
spodumene with 3.8 kg CO2-eq, and transportation and shipping of
spodumene concentrate with 0.7 kg CO2-eq.
When compared against the International Energy Agency's (IEA)
special study on "The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy
Transitions" (also see Table 1), Rock Tech's base carbon footprint
is 30 percent lower. Furthermore, through mainly careful choice of
suppliers, the Company has the ability to reduce emissions to 5.4
kg CO2-eq./kg LHM, which could be compared to the estimated carbon
footprint of LHM from brine in the IEA special report.
In the base case scenario, credits of -1.0 kg CO2-eq./kg LHM are
given to one by-product by applying the avoided burden
approach.1 The assessment also shows
different scenarios that could cut the emissions in half by
commercial choice of suppliers alone, without adapting the
conversion process.
Changing from an average grid mix to exclusively renewable
sources might reduce the footprint by more than 20% compared to the
baseline scenario. Spodumene mining also has a lot of potential for
improvement. Considering of supplies from Rock Tech's Georgia Lake
Project in Ontario, Canada, or
reduced emissions claimed by some existing Australian mining
companies, might significantly lower the footprint.
The LCA did not take into account Rock Tech's
ambitions2 towards a zero-waste scenario because the
exact quantification of its influence could not yet be determined
clearly. Nonetheless, the targeted use of by-products remains a
strategic priority that could bring additional emission-saving
potential beyond the scope of the present study. The same holds
true when substituting natural gas with hydrogen. These measures
will provide further considerable benefits in the future.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Dirk
Harbecke
Chairman & CEO
_________________________________________
|
1 To
effectively avoid greenwashing, credits from by-product utilization
are not accounted for in the net sum emissions of Rock Tech LCA,
although Rock Tech supports avoiding carbon emissions in an
industry beyond the scope of the LCA.
|
2 See also
Rock Tech's press release "Implementing Zero-Waste: Rock Tech
Lithium, GP Papenburg and Schwenk Zement Collaborate for Closer
Commercial Utilisation of Lithium By-Products" issued 30 January,
2023.
|
DATA AND CONFORMITY OF THE STUDY
The LCA takes into account several impact categories and examines
the possible environmental impact of products, processes, and
services throughout their lifecycle. This method ensures that all
of the essential factors are assessed for a sustainable
decision-making process. Secondary data is being used to calculate
the carbon footprint of spodumene mining and concentration. All LHM
manufacturing processes rely on primary data. The primary data
originates from mass and energy flow sheets (activity data) from
the Company's Bankable Project Study, which was published on
November 4, 2022. Furthermore, the
LCA has been critically assessed by an independent third party
(DEKRA) in accordance with ISO 14071 (2016) paragraph 4.3.3 and ISO
14044 (2006) paragraph 6.2. The Company created a comparison of
Rock Tech's carbon footprint to the IEA special report (see table
1), which is not subject to the LCA done by Fraunhofer or
third-party verification by DEKRA.
ABOUT ROCK TECH
Rock Tech is a cleantech company with
operations in Canada and
Germany on a mission to produce
lithium hydroxide for electric vehicle batteries. The Company plans
to build lithium converters at the door-step of its customers, to
guarantee supply-chain transparency and just-in-time delivery,
beginning with the Company's proposed lithium hydroxide merchant
converter and refinery facility in Guben, Germany. To close the most pressing gap in the
clean mobility story, Rock Tech has gathered one of the strongest
teams in the industry. The Company has adopted strict
environmental, social and governance standards and is developing a
proprietary refining process aimed at further increasing efficiency
and sustainability. Rock Tech plans to source raw material from its
wholly-owned Georgia Lake spodumene project located in the Thunder
Bay Mining District of Ontario,
Canada, as well as procuring it from other responsibly
producing mines. In the years to come, the Company expects to also
source raw material from discarded batteries. Rock Tech's goal: to
create a closed-loop lithium production system.
www.rocktechlithium.com
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation
Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
CAUTIONARY NOTE CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING
INFORMATION
Certain statements contained in this news
release constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable
securities laws and are referred to herein as "forward-looking
statements". All statements, other than statements of historical
fact, which address events, results, outcomes or developments that
the Company expects to occur are forward-looking statements. When
used in this news release, words such as "expects", "anticipates",
"plans", "predicts", "believes", "estimates", "intends", "targets",
"projects", "forecasts", "may", "will", "should", "would", "could"
or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions are
intended to identify forward-looking statements. In particular,
forward-looking statements contained in this news release include:
statements and data from the LCA, including the carbon footprint
calculations therein; the further potential reduction of the
Company's carbon footprint and emissions; and the Company's future
plans and expectations as described in the section "About Rock
Tech".
Forward-looking statements by their nature are based on
assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors which may cause the actual results to differ
materially from the forward-looking statements. The material
factors or assumptions used to develop the forward-looking
statements include: the type of mining and concentration of
lithium; the distance required for transportation of concentrate;
the mix of energy supply for the Guben Converter; the Company's
ability to procure supplies and other equipment necessary for its
business; that all required regulatory approvals and permits can be
obtained on the necessary terms in a timely manner; and that
financing will be available to the Company on commercial terms.
There may also be other factors that cause actual results to differ
materially from the forward-looking statements, including the
risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed in the Company's
most recent management's discussion and analysis and annual
information form filed with the applicable securities
regulators.
No assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by
the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, and the
Company cautions the reader not to place undue reliance upon any
such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, nor
does it assume any obligation to update or revise any of the
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
changes in assumptions, future events or otherwise, except to the
extent required by applicable law.
ATTACHMENT
Table 1 | Rock Tech carbon footprint
comparison against International Energy Agency (IEA) special
report.
Sources:
|
Original IEA values are
reported in lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) and were converted
to LiOH.H20 using a 0.88 conversion rate. Adapted from
International Energy Agency (IEA) Special Report: "The Role of
Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions" page 196 of revised
version, March 2022:
https://www.iea.org/reports/the-role-of-critical-minerals-in-clean-energy-transitions;
accessed 22 May 2023.
|
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SOURCE Rock Tech Lithium Inc.