JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – TSX-listed Lithium Americas on Monday announced that the formal inauguration of the final stage Posco lithium extraction pilot plant at its Cauchari-Olaroz lithium project in Jujuy, Argentina, was expected to take place next month.
Lithium Americas and Korean steel company Posco signed a cooperation agreement in January this year, after which the final stage 200 t lithium extraction plant was delivered to Lithium Americas in November.
"There is no question that we have a very large, world-class lithium resource at Cauchari, and there is no question that Posco has developed a game-changing lithium processing technology, which achieves much higher recovery rates, in much less time, and with a much smaller environmental footprint, than is the case with the conventional evaporation approach,” Lithium Americas CEO John Kanellitsas said.
He added that the company wanted to ensure it was taking full advantage of significant advancements in processing technologies that had occurred since the last large-scale lithium brine project entered into continuous production more than 15 years ago.
“Both Lithium Americas and Posco are strongly committed to sustainability and energy efficiency as cornerstones of their business plans,” he said.