Albemarle wraps up validation of lithium pilot plant in Chile
La Negra plant in Chile. Credit: Albemarle
Albemarle said on Wednesday it completed the validation of its direct lithium extraction (DLE) pilot plant in Chile, allowing the company to finalize its design of a future commercial facility and proceed to environmental review.
The US company is one of two lithium miners in Chile, which is the world’s second-largest producer of the metal that is key for electric vehicle batteries.
By the numbers:
- Lithium recovery exceeded 94% during stable operation.
- The pilot plant ran for over 3,000 hours, equivalent to more than 90 consecutive days.
- Water reuse reached up to 85% during the validation phase.
- Albemarle allocated $30 million to the pilot plant and another $216 million to a salt recovery plant in the Atacama salt flat.
(By Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Sarah Morland)
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