Lithium Australia’s patented “LieNA” process that could potentially change the economics of lithium processing by turning lithium waste ore into battery chemicals, is poised on the brink of commercialisation as the company looks towards its first-generation pilot-plant. LieNA takes fine spodumene ore that otherwise may have become waste and concentrates the lucrative lithium phosphate end-product by up to and greater than 85 per cent.
According to the company, currently between 30 and 50 per cent or more of mined lithium ore goes to waste as a result of the traditional spodumene processing and recovery method.
By taking its LieNA processing technology from bench-scale to pilot scale and then onto full scale production, Lithium Australia looks set to disrupt the lithium processing industry.
Lithium Australia’s LieNA technology produces a direct feed for lithium-ferro-phosphate, or “LFP” batteries. Notably, Telsa’s “Model 3” electric vehicle uses an LFP battery and Lithium Australia says it can provide a product to make LFPs without the need for any further chemical processing.
According to Markets and Markets, the lithium ferro-phosphate battery market is set to rise by a compound annual growth rate of 5 per cent a year between 2019 and 2024, spurred on by the increasing demand for battery energy storage and the adoption of electric vehicles.
From an estimated worth of USD$8.3 billion in 2019, the LFP market is projected to reach a value of USD$10.6 billion by 2024, according to Markets and Markets.
LieNA uses a chemical concentration process rather than the traditional and expensive energy intensive “roasting” process, thus significantly reducing the input energy required – and the cost for the lithium beneficiation process.
Lithium Australia said that several producers and lithium chemical manufacturers have expressed an interest in its LieNA process, potentially providing a pathway to commercialisation.
With a $1.3m Federal Government co-funding grant in place to establish a LieNA pilot-plant programme, the company has called for formal expressions of interest to participate in the programme in return for equity in the process.
Lithium Australia Managing Director Adrian Griffin said: "Adoption of LieNA for mainstream lithium production potentially offers the owners of that technology greater control of costs in the lithium chemical supply chain.”
“Through the ability to recover additional lithium from waste streams, the mining cost is spread over significantly higher production tonnages.”
Remarkably, electric vehicle titan, Telsa, is now capped around USD$304.5 billion and it has recently created a touch of excitement amongst its followers by creating a “Battery Day” event in September this year, where speculation is mounting it could announce a number of new potential “game changing” battery developments.
Earlier this month Tesla became the world’s most valuable car manufacturer, surpassing former frontrunner Toyota and underscoring the market’s appetite for all things green.
Tesla surprised the market by producing 103,000 electric vehicles in the first quarter of this year, only about 4 per cent of the 2.4 million cars Toyota rolled off its production lines, according to Bloomberg.
Mr Griffin said:“…There are good reasons why the Tesla Model 3 is going for LFP batteries in China … and LieNA is aimed at servicing the fast growing LFP battery market.”
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By Matt Birney
