Neptune Energy has advanced its lithium project in the Altmark region to Pilot Phase II after evaluating a range of direct lithium extraction, or DLE, technologies. In the next stage, the company is working with Fraunhofer IEG to further optimize the adsorption process and test different adsorbent materials for future industrial use.
The Altmark region in northern Saxony-Anhalt is described as home to one of the world’s largest project-related lithium resources, with proven reserves of 43 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent. The lithium is dissolved in brine at depths of 3,000 to 4,000 meters in the fine pore spaces of rock. Neptune plans to bring the brine to the surface through wells and extract the lithium using DLE.
“During Pilot Phase I last year, we investigated various DLE technologies available worldwide to assess their suitability for the conditions in the Altmark region. Following tests using ion-exchange and adsorption processes, adsorption technology proved to be the most promising for the conditions in the Altmark region. We now intend to further develop this process in collaboration with Fraunhofer IEG,” explains Joachim Sluet, Midstream Manager and head of pilot projects at Neptune Energy.
Evonik Catalysts has been selected to provide the adsorbent material for the first test phase. The company had previously shown stability and performance in preliminary trials and is also supporting the program with on-site application and process expertise.
The pilot unit operates in an oxygen-free environment and can process up to 1,000 liters of thermal water per day. With three adsorption columns running at the same time, adsorption and desorption can occur almost simultaneously. The process produces a lithium chloride solution that can be further refined into battery-grade lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide monohydrate, materials used in the European battery and electric mobility industries.
Neptune said the Altmark Lithium Extraction Project is intended to support domestic supplies of critical raw materials and contribute to more resilient European supply chains. Commercial lithium production is expected to begin gradually from 2030, with output targeted at up to 25,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent annually in the 2030s.
Source: Neptune Energy
