EQS-News

Vulcan Energy Resources Limited: Commissioning start at Lithium Extraction Optimisation Plant - Seite 2

    

CEO, Cris Moreno, stated: "The commencement of the commissioning of our LEOP facility represents a significant milestone for us, as well as the entire European battery industry. By 2030, Europe is likely to face a significant lithium shortage, which could have serious implications for the European battery and automotive industries if domestic supplies are not realised. Vulcan is gearing up to be the first to produce lithium from Europe, for Europe, but also to be the first company worldwide to produce carbon neutral lithium. The start of the commissioning of our LEOP facility is a key step toward the implementation of Phase One of our Zero Carbon Lithium Project, and in enabling a secure and independent European supply chain for Lithium.

This is a great achievement of a determined team. Our pilot plants have already demonstrated the capability of A-DLE, a technology that has been commercially in use globally for decades, on our brines. With this determination, we will continue to advance in the coming months, driving the mobility transition in Europe, and serving as an inspiring example of what is possible, pioneering a carbon free future. “

 

 

About LEOP

Vulcan’s LEOP has been built to enable operational readiness when construction of the full commercial plant is completed, to reduce commercial ramp up time. LEOP has the same equipment that Vulcan’s commercial LEP will have, with adsorption columns at a 1:50 scale of the commercial unit, with a greater number of columns in the commercial plant. The LEOP will have the capacity to produce approximately 100 tonnes of lithium chloride solution per annum. 

The production volumes at LEOP will signify the first tonnes of lithium chloride concentrate domestically produced in Europe, and the first tonnes of lithium produced using the commercially proven method of Adsorption – type Direct Lithium Extraction (A-DLE) powered from renewable heat instead of gas.

Figure 1.  Vulcan's Lithium Extraction Optimisation Plant at Landau

Figure 2. Crystalliser installation