Direct lithium extraction is the critical mineral sector’s needed technology
Hatch is optimistic about direct lithium extraction technology advancing to meet demand. Hatch is a global engineering company.
On June 22, 2023 the company said at the 15th Lithium Supply and Battery Raw Materials 2023 in Henderson, Nevada, that Hatch has been employed by LithiumBank Resources and others to assess direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies to treat raw brine and produce battery-grade lithium chemical products.
The illfamous consultancy (South Africa) McKinsey & Co. wrote that DLE is needed, alongside traditional lithium mining processes such as hard rock mining and solar pond evaporation, to scale up supply.
“Despite expectations that lithium demand will rise from approximately 500,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in 2021 to some three million to four million metric tons in 2030, we believe that the lithium industry will be able to provide enough product to supply the burgeoning lithium-ion battery industry,” wrote McKinsey in a report from last year. “Direct lithium extraction (DLE) and direct lithium to product (DLP) can be the driving forces behind the industry’s ability to respond more swiftly to soaring demand.”
Subramani said the investment into direct lithium extraction has been significant, with many large companies advancing the technology.
A hurdle will be scaling up DLE, but Subramani said the lithium sector needs the technology.
“There’s going to be hiccups along the way,” said Subramani. “DLE is not straightforward. It’s not easy. Every technology has to be suited for the application. There are challenges along the way. We’re optimistic but cautiously optimistic.”
