Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat with an area of 10,582 square kilometers
Image: Ximena Medina Sancho, Wikimedia Commons
Bolivia’s YLB has said that CBC (China), Protecno (Italy), Eramet (France) and Eau Lithium (Australia) received the highest scores for technological maturity in the second international call for lithium reserve development projects.
YLB said in a statement that the companies were selected for their “level of technological maturity, financial proposals, technical parameters and project implementation timelines.” It added that three of the companies have proven systems that operate successfully in real environments, while one uses a fully qualified system in an operational environment.
CBC proposed the extraction of lithium from residual brine using the adsorption method. Protecno proposed wastewater treatment for the current plants, as well as water services for nearby communities. Both Eramet and Eau Lithium submitted proposals for direct lithium extraction (DEL) from brine.
The international call was launched in January. Bolivia is advancing the industrialization of lithium through DEL technology, which has a recovery rate of 80% to 90%, and evaporation technology, which recovers 30% to 40% of the resources from salt flats.
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