Power Minerals’ (ASX:PNN) joint venture and strategic partner Summit Nanotech Corporation has selected global engineering consultancy Hatch for the prefeasibility stage design and engineering of its commercial scale denaLi facilities.
Following pilot testing of Power Minerals’ Incahuasi brine at Summit’s Santiago facility, which is currently underway, Hatch will start a plant feasibility study to support Summit and Power Minerals’ next step at the asset, an onsite demonstration facility targeting production of lithium chloride with a capacity of 1,000tpa LCE.
Lithium chloride is an intermediate concentrate to battery-grade lithium carbonate.
Summit has already completed first-stage testwork at its laboratory in Calgary, Canada, confirming the suitability of denaLi technology to process Incahuasi brines.
Power and Summit signed a binding term sheet to partner in the development of Power’s Incahuasi salar in August 2023. Incahuasi is one of 5 salars (salt lakes) that comprise Power’s Salta Lithium Brine Project in Argentina’s lithium triangle.
Summit is securing a 30% interest in the proposed JV with a strategic investment of more than $3 million, of which Power received the first tranche in October 2023.
Summit’s denaLi DLE technology efficiently produces lithium from brine with best-in-class low freshwater use, minimal consumables, minimal greenhouse gases and low power consumption.
The DLE technology can produce greater than 95% lithium recovery and over 98% impurity reduction.
Images: Power Minerals
