Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd. · ASX:VUL
Vulcan Energy Resources — Technical Presentation (November 2021)
26 slides from Vulcan Energy Resources's technical presentation, Nov 12, 2021
Slide 1: Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) Technical Update
For personal use only Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) Technical Update Friday, 12 November 2021 Dr Francis Wedin, MD, Vulcan Energy Resources Dr Stephen Harrison, Chief Technical Officer, Vulcan Energy Resources
Slide 2: Disclaimer
Disclaimer IMPORTANT: You must read the following before continuing. The information contained in this presentation ("Presentation") has been prepared by Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd ("Vulcan" or the "Company"). Pursuant to ASX Listing Rule 15.5, Vulcan confirms that this Presentation has been author
Slide 3: Disclaimer Contd.
Disclaimer Contd. Any such forward-looking statements, opinions and estimates in this Presentation (including any statements about market and industry trends) are based on assumptions and contingencies, all of which are subject to change without notice, and may ultimately prove to be materially inco
Slide 4: Agenda
Agenda For personal use only Welcome and introduction • Dr. Francis Wedin, MD • Dr. Stephen Harrison, CTO How does DLE work? • Types of direct lithium extraction • Why Vulcan is advancing a sorption process Development history of DLE and sorption How sorption applies to geothermal brines How Vulcan
Slide 5: Dr. Stephen Harrison, Chief Technology Officer, Vulcan Energy Resources
Dr. Stephen Harrison, Chief Technology Officer, Vulcan Energy Resources For personal use only PhD Chemical Engineering MSc Electrochemical Science • Dr. Harrison has a diverse multi-industry background in electrochemistry and lithium extraction, with thorough knowledge of all steps of industry proce
Slide 6: How does DLE work?
For personal use only How does DLE work? Types of DLE Why has Vulcan chosen sorption?
Slide 7: Direct lithium extraction is a proven technology
Direct lithium extraction is a proven technology For personal use only • Direct lithium extraction (DLE) using sorption has a Schematic of a generalised DLE process4 fifty-year development and implementation history Lithium chemical products • Sorption-type DLE practiced commercially in South Americ
Slide 8: DLE perceived advantages/disadvantages and Vulcan's choice of method
DLE perceived advantages/disadvantages and Vulcan’s choice of method5 Technology DLE method Material Main advantages Main disadvantages readiness level For personal use only • Water is used to recover the lithium chloride – no reagents required • Usually requires temperatures > 50oC Main methods ava
Slide 9: Sorption process
Sorption process6 Step 1 Step 2 For personal use only Sorbent Sorbent • Geothermal brine has a high salinity – it contains ions of various sizes and • When the loaded sorbent is washed with water, an excess of free water electric charges. molecules becomes available to the lithium ions. • Water mole
Slide 10: Development history of DLE and sorption
For personal use only Development history of DLE and sorption
Slide 11: History of direct lithium extraction
History of direct lithium extraction7,8,9 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2015 2020 For personal use only Dow Sorbent development Oilfield brine Albemarle Pilot Plant to LiCL Standard Lithium Pilot Pilot Expanding capacity* Livent (FMC Lithium) Commercial Operation Eramet Lab Pilot Brine lakes Tenova Lab P
Slide 12: Timeline of commercial development
Timeline of commercial development For personal use only • Dow (now Dupont) developed lithium sorbent for its brine plants in the • Livent announced plans to increase capacity to Smackover region where DOW operated calcium chloride and bromine 27,000 tpa in 201911 production in late 1970’s through t
Slide 13: FMC/Livent process
FMC/LIVENT process13 For personal use only Water//lithium losses • More rapid production process due to Brine returned to Salar from the use of lithium sorbent which Salar separates the lithium chloride from the del main constituents of the brine: Water/Brine Hombre Returned to Water from Public Wat
Slide 14: Evaporative lithium production from brine: other producers
Evaporative lithium production from brine: other producers For personal use only • Operators in Chile and Argentina, Generalised evaporation type flow sheet14 transform the brine to product offsite • Evaporation ponds take 18 months to Medium-high SO4 brine Halite, Sylvinite Carnallite Bischoffite L
Slide 15: How sorption applies to geothermal brines
For personal use only How sorption applies to geothermal brines
Slide 16: Unique advantage of pairing geothermal brines with DLE
Unique advantage of pairing geothermal brines with DLE For personal use only • Geothermal brine is different from Brine returned salar-type brines. for injection • Usually lower lithium grade on the downside, but on the upside it's already hot and it's not at 4,000m elevation above sea level as some
Slide 17: Simbol – a successful technical demonstration of lithium extraction from geothermal brine
Simbol – a successful technical demonstration of lithium extraction from geothermal brine For personal use only • Operated several pilot plant units using its own sorbents. • Thousands of hours of operation, 2010 through 2014 at several locations in Salton Sea, California: • BHE Elmore • EnergySourc
Slide 18: How Vulcan is applying sorption to its Zero Carbon Lithium Project
How Vulcan is applying For personal use only sorption to its Zero Carbon Lithium™ Project Progress update and next steps
Slide 19: Vulcan lithium division current status
Vulcan lithium division current status22 For personal use only • Pilot plant 1 focused on: • Brine pre-treatment • Lithium extraction • Post treatment to return brine to same state • Multiple sorbents from commercial providers have been successfully tested, including from DuPont and others, providin
Slide 20: First battery quality lithium hydroxide produced from pilot operations
First battery quality lithium hydroxide produced from pilot operations24 For personal use only • The sample exceeds traditional battery grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) product including best on the market battery grade specifications required from offtake customers, at >56.5% LiOH.H2O and
Slide 21: Process flow sheet
Process flow sheet25 Vulcan has IP protection around flowsheet For personal use only 1 • Hot brine extracted from the ground and generates steam that powers turbines and Make-up water produces renewable electricity Brine feed Geothermal Direct Plant Pre-treatment Lithium Post-treatment From 5 Extract
Slide 22: A note on our choice of lithium electrolysis
A note on our choice of lithium electrolysis For personal use only • We can use DLE because we have the heat and infrastructure which make it commercially attractive. • Because we use DLE, we are able to produce a very pure lithium chloride concentrate. • Because of this purity, we can use electroly
Slide 23: Demonstration plant
Demonstration plant26 For personal use only • Demo Plant to include all process steps in two locations • Fully integrated with all process steps including electrolysis • DLE at site with “live” geothermal brine • Conversion to LHM in a chemical park (same as commercial plant design) • All recycles t
Slide 24: First commercial operation: targeting 2024
First commercial operation: targeting 202427 For personal use only Binary Cycle Geothermal Plant Lithium Sorption Plant Central Lithium Plant “ The Vulcan team is committed to advancing renewable energy development and decarbonisation for the benefit of all stakeholders, and is on track with the deve
Slide 25: Thank You
@VulcanEnergyRes v-er.eu info@v-er.eu ASX:VUL For personal use only FRA:6KO Thank You PUBLIC RELATIONS EU/Germany Media & Investor Relations Beate Holzwarth Jessica Bukowski Chief Communication Officer PR & IR Manager bholzwarth@v-er.eu jbukowski@v-er.eu 25
Slide 26: Reference list
Reference list For personal use only 1. Alex Grant (April 2020) From Catamarca to Qinghai: The Commercial Scale Direct Lithium Extraction 15. The Desert Sun, 8 June 2016, Tesla offered $325 million for Salton Sea startup Operations, Jade Cove Partners, San Francisco, USA https://www.desertsun.com/st
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