DLE Weekly delivers the latest insights on Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technologies, industry developments, and market trends. Stay tuned to see how DLE is shaping the future of sustainable energy.
DLE Weekly - 28 February 2025
Global Business, BICHEM Group
A Cooperation to Advance a Lithium Extraction Project in Argentina
JordProxa, an Australian company specializing in battery chemicals, has partnered with Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto to provide an integrated processing plant for Rio Tinto’s Rincon lithium project in Argentina. The cooperation includes the modular design for lithium chloride evaporation, lithium carbonate crystallization, and purification steps.
With an annual production capacity of 60,000 tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate, the Rincon project, utilizing direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology, is expected to begin production in 2028 and is set to become Rio Tint’s first commercial-scale lithium project.
A Project Officially Kicks Off in Sichuan Province
A total of 360 projects were officially launched in Dazhou, Sichuan Province recently. Among these projects, the high-purity lithium salt and lithium-potassium brine development project, with a total investment of 10.5 billion RMB, is a joint venture between Jiangxi Kexiang Enterprise Management Co., Ltd and Xiamen C&D Co., Ltd. The project will be developed in three phases, with a focus on producing battery-grade lithium carbonate and industrial-grade sodium sulfate. A production line with an annual output of 40,000 tons of lithium carbonate will be completed by the end of 2025 and a production line with an annual output of 140,000 tons of lithium carbonate is expected to be achieved by 2027.
Synthetic Lithium Brine Extraction Testing Launched in Germany
Cosmos Exploration, a Australian minerals company, and Vulcan Energy, a Australian lithium and renewable energy producer, have launched testing for a synthetic lithium brine extraction process in Germany. The testing, conducted at Vulcan Energy’s facility, aim to optimize extraction parameters in preparation for larger-scale bench-top and pilot testing. Vulcan’s VULSORB, adsorption-based DLE technology, is designed to improve lithium recovery efficiency while reducing water consumption.
Financial and Mineral Security Challenges Faced by the U.S. Lithium Industry
The U.S. lithium industry is grappling with dual challenges of financing uncertainty and mineral security. After America declared a National Energy Emergency Executive Order in January 20, 2025, numerous renewable energy and battery projects are at risk due to a pause in funding under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Despite the Department of Energy’s commitment to provide over $60.6 billion in clean energy loans, increased scrutiny from the new administration has exacerbated financing uncertainties.
New Lithium Manganese Oxide Electrode Material Enhances DLE Lithium Extraction Efficiency
Electrochemical technology is one of the key approaches for DLE. Lithium Manganese Oxide (LMO) has been widely used as an electrode material due to its high selectivity for lithium ions. However, it suffers from poor cycling stability and low practical lithium extraction capacity. Recently, a research team led by Professor Zhu Wenshuai from China University of Petroleum has developed a new LMO electrode material by combining SnO2 nanoparticles with lithium manganese oxide. After modification, the SnO2-coated LMO electrode demonstrated a lithium adsorption capacity of 19.76 mg/g within one hour, significantly enhancing the lithium extraction efficiency.
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