Lithium Extraction via Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE)Lithium Extraction via Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) Two companies, Eramet and Tsingshan Holding Group, are paving the way for commercial lithium extraction in the Western Hemisphere using direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology. This process involves extracting lithium from brine without the need for conventional preprocessing steps. Eramet’s plant in Argentina aims to produce 24,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate annually by mid-2025. Meanwhile, US Magnesium in Utah is utilizing DLE to extract lithium from briny wastewater generated from magnesium production. The unique potential of DLE lies in its ability to extract lithium from various brines, including waste streams. John Burba, founder of International Battery Metals, believes the technology developed by his company can be applied widely. DLE has been employed before, but often with preprocessing steps. Companies in China are using DLE after removing sodium and potassium from the brine. However, Eramet and US Magnesium are aiming to simplify the process, reducing costs and freshwater consumption. Cameron Perks, a lithium analyst, notes the challenges associated with commissioning new DLE plants. He advises caution until full capacity is reached, as issues may arise during this phase. The success of these projects could validate DLE technology and pave the way for increased lithium production in the Western Hemisphere. If Eramet and US Magnesium can scale up production, it will boost global lithium supply, meeting the growing demand for this critical battery material.
Two companies are commissioning some of the first commercial plants in the Western Hemisphere to chemically extract lithium from brine, a process called direct lithium extraction (DLE). If they can ramp up production in the coming months, they will help validate a technology that other companies have struggled with.
A joint venture between Eramet and Tsingshan Holding Group has begun commissioning a DLE plant at 4,000 m above sea level in Argentina’s Salta province. The partners aim to begin lithium carbonate production by the end of this year and hope to scale up to 24,000 metric tons per year by mid-2025. They expect the first phase of the project to cost around $870 million.
In Utah, US Magnesium, using DLE technology developed by International Battery Metals, has begun producing lithium carbonate using briny wastewater generated by the company’s magnesium production. US Magnesium began producing magnesium in the 1970s but failed to properly dispose of its wastewater. In 2009, the project was added to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) list of hazardous waste sites.
Magnesium production waste is a unique source of lithium, but John Burba, founder of International Battery Metals, says his company’s technology should work on other brines, too. And he hopes to expand beyond Utah. “In most typical brines … it always picks up lithium,” he says of the technology.
DLE has been used before, but usually with preprocessing steps to increase lithium concentration and remove impurities. Cameron Perks, a lithium analyst with research firm Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, says several companies in China are using DLE after steps that remove sodium and potassium. The only company using a DLE process on a commercial scale outside China is Arcadium Lithium, which has used an evaporation pond to concentrate brine prior to DLE at its Argentina site for decades.
Eramet, International Battery Metals and a number of start-ups are hoping to improve the process. Perks says companies developing next-generation DLE are looking to make the process cheaper and reduce freshwater consumption. But Perks is reserving judgment on these projects until they reach full capacity, because problems often arise during the commissioning process. “There are going to be some kinks that need to be worked out,” he says.
