Lithium Australia (ASX:LIT) has advanced commercialisation of the revolutionary Sileach™ process for the recovery of lithium from silicates, by committing to engineering design.
The commercial development of the Sileach™ process involves progressive de-risking and demonstration of the ability to scale up from laboratory tests through to commercial production.
What is the Sileach™ process?
The Sileach™ process is designed to recover lithium and other metals from any silicate, including spodumene, lithium micas, petalite, amphiboles, pyroxenes, tourmalines etc.
The award of engineering design to CPC Engineering has propelled Lithium Australia along the path to commercialisation.
CPC Engineering will provide LIT with engineering design, capital cost estimates, operating cost estimates and comparative logistic costs of a number of Western Australian sites.
Design studies will commence in December 2016 and will be an integral part of LIT’s decision process to proceed with plant construction.
The Sileach™ process is undergoing independent development and testing with the company's partners ANSTO Minerals (a division of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation).
Adrian Griffin, managing director for LIT, commented:
"The progression from the first laboratory tests, to awarding the engineering contract has all been encapsulated in 2016, the most progressive year in Lithium Australia’s history.
"The commitment of our partners at ANSTO Minerals and Murdoch University, and support by grants from the federal and state governments has been paramount in this development.
"The decision to award the engineering contract to CPC Engineering retains much of the financial and intellectual property benefit in Western Australia, and maintains our scheduled target for commercialisation of the Sileach™ process."
The next steps
LIT and ANSTO have scheduled further pilot testing later this month and in January 2017 to process spodumene concentrates from Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora deposit.
Work has commenced at Murdoch University, funded by a research grant from the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia.
That work will focus on impurity deportment, and maximising the value of by-product credits.