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Neometals and MinRes partner with Rio Tinto to advance ELi lithium processing technology

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By Colin Hay - 
NeoMetals ASX NMT MoU Rio Tinto ELi Process
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A partnership between Neometals (ASX: NMT) and Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN) has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) aimed at progressing a unique lithium processing technology.

Reed Advanced Materials (RAM), 70:30 co-owned by the two companies, will work with Rio on the potential validation of the trademarked ELi Process Technology (ELi).

Removing the need for large volumes of bulk chemical reagents, ELi uses electricity to convert lithium chloride solutions into lithium hydroxide in a conventional chlor-alkali cell.

Important milestone

Neometals managing director Chris Reed said the signing of the MoU is an important milestone in ELi’s development.

“We are naturally excited to collaborate with Rio Tinto to explore the potential to bring this technology closer to market,” Mr Reed said.

Mr Reed said ELi had the potential to deliver a step-change in operating costs versus industry-standard chemical precipitation.

“Rio Tinto is a global leader in energy transition commodities with scale, development capabilities and financial strength [and] we are confident ELi can be an ideal complement to Rio’s direct lithium extraction technologies to further enhance the value of their Tier 1 portfolio,” he added.

Optimisation test work

Rio Tinto and RAM will investigate opportunities for RAM to complete optimisation test work and to update the process design criteria for a pilot or demonstration-scale plant.

The intention is to then discuss a further agreement under which Rio Tinto and RAM would test ELi in a real application.

The two companies also plan to look into the potential for Rio Tinto to fund optimisation test work and process design updates.

Barrambie gold MRE

Earlier this week, Neometals unveiled the first mineral resource estimate (MRE) for the Ironclad prospect at its 100%-owned Barrambie gold project in Western Australia.

The MRE included an inferred mineral resource of approximately 250,000 tonnes at 1.6 grams per tonne for 13,000 ounces of gold.

It covered mineralisation in the vicinity of historic underground workings and was based predominantly on shallow reverse circulation and rotary air blast drilling.