Rock Tech Lithium Inc. has been awarded funding by EIT RawMaterials, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, to advance lithium refining innovation in Germany. This award marks the first European funding received by Rock Tech following the recognition of its Lithium Hydroxide Convertor Guben (LHCG) project as a strategic Critical Raw Materials Project by the European Commission.
Under the grant, which is part of EIT RawMaterials’ KAVA (Knowledge and Innovation Activities) program, Rock Tech will lead a consortium of industry and research partners. These include Advanced Minerals and Recycling Industrial Solutions (AdMiRIS), the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), and Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek NV (VITO). The project has secured total funding of EUR 2.5 million, with Rock Tech eligible to receive up to EUR 1 million to drive process innovation and optimization in its lithium conversion operations.
The initiative, named OLiVer (Hard Rock Lithium Extraction and Purified Value Products for Energy Applications), aims to elevate lithium recovery efficiency and reduce environmental impact in line with the European Union’s green transition objectives. Key project activities include:
- Optimizing pyro-hydro-metallurgical processing techniques to improve lithium extraction yields from spodumene feedstock.
- Developing and integrating a secondary lithium sulfate recovery process to capture additional lithium content.
- Merging primary and secondary lithium sulfate streams to enhance lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) production.
- Conducting pilot-scale demonstrations to validate commercial viability and operational performance of the upgraded processes.
Rock Tech anticipates that these enhancements will deliver significant cost and sustainability benefits to its Guben Converter facility, positioning it to supply high-purity LHM for electric vehicle batteries within Europe. The company’s CEO, Mirco Wojnarowicz, noted that collaboration with leading research institutions will help bring potentially game-changing lithium processing technologies to market.
Source: Rock Tech Lithium News
