Membrane distillation-crystallisation for the production of carbon neutral lithium in the UK

在西南地区建立碳中性的国内锂供应，可能成为英国后化石燃料经济的核心。恢复曾经利润丰厚的康沃尔锡矿的主要生产是一个令人兴奋的前景，可能会为该地区带来数千个高质量的绿色就业机会，提振当地经济，并支撑英国广泛存在的、所有人都负担得起的电动汽车供应链。然而，它必须以一种真正对环境负责的方式进行--保护当地的水质和可用性，利用非化石燃料能源为这一过程提供动力，并消除有害废物的产生。在Water Cycle Technologies，我们相信我们正在很好地实现这一目标，使用我们先进的膜蒸馏-结晶(MDC)技术直接从地热卤水中提取锂，利用其中已经嵌入的可再生能源为该过程提供动力。我们已经展示了使用我们的系统从康沃尔盐水中生产碳酸锂(用于制造电池的原材料)的能力，使我们成为第一家这样做的公司。我们希望这个项目将使我们能够加快我们的发展，并在它结束时，就在英国这里建造世界上第一个碳中性锂提取示范系统。

The creation of a carbon-neutral domestic supply of lithium in the South West region could become central to the post-fossil fuel economy of the UK. Returning primary production to the once lucrative tin mines of Cornwall is an exciting prospect that could bring thousands of high-quality green jobs to the region, bolstering the local economy and underpinning the UK's supply chain of widespread and affordable electric vehicles for all. However, it must be done in a truly environmentally responsible way - preserving local water quality and availability, utilising non fossil-fuel energy to power the process and eliminating the production of harmful waste products. At Watercycle Technologies, we believe we are well on the way to achieving this aim, using our advanced membrane distillation-crystallisation (MDC) technology to directly extract lithium from geothermal brines, using the renewable energy already embedded within them to power the process. We have already demonstrated our ability to produce lithium carbonate (the raw material that goes into batteries) from Cornish brines using our system, making us the first company to do so. And we hope that this project will enable us to accelerate our development and, by the end of it, construct the world's first carbon-neutral lithium extraction demonstration system right here in the UK.