International Battery Metals (IBAT) has commenced commercial-scale lithium production using a separation method touted as a greener alternative crucial for electric vehicle (EV) batteries. The Houston-based company announced on Thursday that it has started operations at its modular plant for direct lithium extraction (DLE), producing lithium chloride from a brine by-product of magnesium production.
The brine feedstock is provided by US Magnesium, following an agreement made in May to position the facility near its operations outside Salt Lake City, Utah. Under the terms of the agreement, IBAT will supply US Magnesium with lithium chloride, which will then be refined into battery-grade lithium carbonate. IBAT will earn royalties from the lithium sales and rental fees for its proprietary equipment.
DLE is promoted as a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional brine mining methods, which rely on extensive evaporation pools that consume large amounts of water and yield only 20-40 percent lithium recovery on average, raising both ecological and profitability concerns.
IBAT claims its technology can extract over 97 percent of available lithium from brine sources and recycle up to 98 percent of the water used. The portable 5,000 metric tonne per year DLE plant can reach production within 18 months from the start of construction, according to the company.
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