Sydney-based Lake Resources has begun developing a pilot plant to produce lithium brine at its Kachi project in Argentina.
Expected to be operational in late 2019, the plant forms part of a pre-feasibility study and is a pre-cursor to a full-scale commercial plant. It is expected to produce around 10 t/yr of lithium carbonate equivalent utilising direct extraction technology developed by US-based Lilac Solutions.
An engineering study has indicated the potential for production costs to be among the lowest in the lithium industry at around $2,600/t of lithium carbonate. The Kachi project is estimated to contain around 4.4mn t of lithium carbonate equivalent.
The pilot plant project will involve purified lithium brine being produced on site and then converted into lithium carbonate or hydroxide at a more suitable location with more infrastructure.
Lake Resources is also involved in developing the Cauchari project in Argentina. Chile and Argentina hold the world's largest lithium brine resources, while the biggest hard rock lithium resources are found in Western Australia.
