By Paul Schubach, COO, EMP Metals
Lithium brine processing technology has been rapidly advancing over the past 5 years fostering the development of a new “unconventional” resource industry centered around Canada’s vast lithium brines, which is poised to support the growing global demand for lithium. This complements recent announcements for significant investment in Canada’s battery and electric vehicle manufacturing capacity—presenting the opportunity for a prosperous domestic supply and value chain. EMP Metals Corp. (EMP, CSE:EMPS) in partnership with ROK Resources (ROK, TSX.V:ROK) is seizing this opportunity by developing the highest lithium concentration brines found to date in Canada (up to 259 mg/L) on our land position in Southeast Saskatchewan.
Lithium was identified in brines over 20 years ago in test wells across Saskatchewan. However, development of these resources was delayed due to comparatively lower lithium concentrations, lack of economical extraction technology, and supply from other conventional sources like hard rock (spodumene) mining in Australia and evaporation ponds in South America saturating the market. As demand for lithium-ion batteries continues to grow, Canadian lithium brines has become a viable alternative that can now economically compete on a global scale.
Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology currently being developed by several North American companies is set to propel future lithium production capacity. DLE selectively adsorbs lithium onto a resin, while rejecting and passing impurities to a waste stream. Lithium is then removed from the resin with water and further refined into lithium chemicals. DLE lithium recovery is upwards of 90% with the potential to reach higher recoveries through additional improvements. Rejection of impurities is upwards of 99% allowing efficient downstream refining to convert brines into the desired finished lithium product. Such recovery and rejection efficiency leads to lower usage of chemicals and fresh water, while streamlining the process to achieve battery-grade lithium chemicals.
Other advantages of DLE over traditional lithium mining include minimal surface disruption and land requirements, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and no surface tailings or brine storage. Combined, these result in a lithium product with a lower carbon footprint and lower environmental impact. Pilot scale demonstration plants operating on a variety of different brine chemistries and concentrations show a viable pathway towards commercial operation in the near future.
Downstream of DLE, brine delivery/disposal and concentration/refining use more conventional equipment modified for high volumes and high salinity brines. Canada’s strong oil and gas history conveniently provides existing infrastructure, technology, and expertise to drill, pipeline, and deliver the high brine volumes required for surface processing. In addition, water treatment equipment including reverse osmosis (RO), water softening, ion exchange, and precipitation conversion are also well understood from historical wastewater treatment equipment and processes. Development of new Osmotically Assisted Reverse Osmosis (OARO) technology to process brine with higher total dissolved solids (TDS) will advance efficient concentration of lithium during refining and reduce or eliminate the need for energy intensive evaporators. This landscape puts Canadian lithium brine projects, such as EMP and ROK’s, in a position to efficiently produce high-quality, cost competitive battery-grade lithium chemicals.
Continued advancement and demonstration of lithium brine extraction and refining technology and leveraging significant domestic inferred, indicated, and proven lithium brine reserves will ensure Canada can meaningfully engage in the rapidly growing lithium market and contribute to sustainable global electrification. EMP and ROK is proud to be part of this story as we continue development of our Southeast Saskatchewan lithium brine project and continue on a path towards commercial production.
Originally published in IGNITE V8.
