Clean lithium developer Lake Resources and its technology partner Lilac Solutions have announced the production of 2,500 kilograms of lithium carbonate equivalent at the Kachi processing plant in Argentina.

The ore was extracted at Kachi and processed using Lilac’s direct lithium extraction technology and yielded a 80% lithium recovery, 90% plant uptime, with 1,000 times less land compared with evaporation ponds and 10 times less water compared with conventional aluminum-based absorbents.

Based on this result, Lilac has increased its ownership of the Kachi project from 10% to 20%.

Full-scale development

Kachi is now on track to move from the pilot phase to full-scale development.

It is poised to become the first lithium brine project in South America to produce lithium at commercial scale without the use of evaporation ponds for lithium concentration.

The achievement at Kachi is believed to represent a historic advancement in lithium production technology as it is the first successful implementation of ion exchange for lithium production in the region.

New era in lithium production

Lake and Lilac said via joint statement that it 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,” the statement said.

“Today, we have 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.”

Lithium triangle

Lake’s flagship Kachi project is located in Catamarca Province within Argentina’s famed lithium triangle, among three other projects covering 2,200 square kilometres.

The project employs Lilac’s state-of-the-art ion exchange extraction technology for the production of sustainable, high purity lithium.

The technology delivers a solution for two rising demands – high purity battery materials to avoid performance issues, and more sustainable, responsibly-sourced materials with low carbon footprint and significant environmental, social and governance benefits.

When fully developed, Kachi is expected to produce 50,000t per annum of battery-grade lithium products.