Lake Resources NL and Lilac Solutions reported the production of 2,500kg of lithium carbonate equivalents (LCE) at the Kachi Project.
Based on this positive outcome, Lake Resources said Lilac had expanded its stake in the Kachi Project from 10% to 20%. The project is now on schedule to transition from pilot to commercial-scale development, making it South America’s first lithium brine project to manufacture lithium commercially without the need for evaporation ponds for lithium concentration.
According to Lake Resources, the achievement at Kachi Project constitutes a watershed moment in lithium production technology. This is the first effective use of ion exchange for lithium production in South America, which contains most of the world’s lithium brine deposits.
At Kachi, 2,500 kg of LCEs were recovered with 80% lithium recovery, 90% plant uptime, 1,000x less land than evaporation ponds, and 10x less water than standard aluminium-based absorbents. The outcomes speak for themselves:
- Speed to Production: Lake Resources and Lilac commissioned the facility on-site in less than a month, more than ten times faster than conventional procedures, and commenced continuous production of lithium chloride immediately;
- High Lithium Recoveries: Despite having a lithium grade 2x-7x lower, Lake Resources and Lilac are obtaining 80% lithium recovery from brine with 200-300 mg/L of lithium, which is nearly double the lithium recoveries of most brine production;
- High Water Efficiency: This technology is exceedingly water efficient, allowing for the generation of lithium chloride with 10 times less water than traditional aluminium-based absorbents;
- Product Purity: The lithium chloride produced is low in impurities, allowing for the efficient synthesis of high-purity lithium carbonate for battery manufacturers. Boron, a problematic contaminant in brine projects, is rejected at a rate greater than 99.9%;
- Continuous Operations: The plant has been running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a 90% uptime; it is a dependable automated plant designed for scalable manufacturing and operations;
- No Evaporation Ponds: Unlike other so-called “direct extraction” technologies that rely on evaporation ponds to concentrate the lithium, Lilac’s ion exchange process does not require evaporation ponds for brine concentration; and
- Validated Performance: An independent engineer visited the plant and analysed over a hundred samples throughout the facility to assess performance and certify conformity with engineering work.
When fully completed, the Kachi Project is estimated to produce 50,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium materials per year.
“Today’s announcement marks a new era in scalable lithium production. Lithium is a cornerstone of the energy transition – but limitations in production technology have led to increased costs, scarcity, and extreme price volatility. Today, we’ve proven that it is possible to produce high-purity lithium faster and without evaporation ponds – all while protecting surrounding communities and ecosystems. We are grateful for the strong partnership between our companies in developing this project, and we look forward to our continued success as we chart a new path in lithium production,” Lake Resources and Lilac jointly commented.
