- EIT RawMaterials, supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, a body of the European Union has selected Rock Tech for funding to commercialize novel lithium processing technologies in Germany.
- Rock Tech will collaborate with leading research partners, including Advanced Minerals and Recycling Industrial Solutions (AdMiRIS), National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), and Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek NV (VITO).
- The project has been allocated a total funding of EUR 2.5 million of which Rock Tech will be receiving up to EUR 1 million to drive innovation and optimization work of its lithium conversion processes.
EIT RawMaterials, the most active network in the European raw materials industry, has chosen Rock Tech Lithium Inc. for funding under the prestigious KAVA (Knowledge and Innovation Activities) grant program. The first funding given following the European Commission’s recognition of Rock Tech’s Lithium Hydroxide Convertor Guben (LHCG) project as a strategic project under the Critical Raw Materials Project, this recognition bolsters the company’s continued dedication to developing cutting-edge lithium refining solutions in Europe. In order to enhance and develop its lithium conversion method for use in its Guben Converter in the future, Rock Tech will receive EUR 800,000.
Rock Tech’s Lithium subsidiary, Rock Tech Guben GmbH, will work with top industry and research partners, such as NTUA (Greece), VITO (Belgium), and Admiris (Greece), under the KAVA Call-funding program to improve the production of lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) from spodumene and optimize lithium extraction procedures. According to Rock Tech, the Guben Converter will experience significant operational and financial gains in the future as a result of this optimization effort.
“We are honored to be selected for the KAVA Call funding and to work jointly with partners to commercialize innovative, potentially game-changing lithium processing technologies”, comments Mirco Wojnarowicz, Rock Tech’s CEO.
The selected project, named OLiVer (Hard rock Lithium Extraction and Purified Value Products for Energy Applications) will demonstrate innovative processes at pilot scale, significantly improving lithium recovery efficiency and reducing environmental impact in line with EU green transition goals. The OLiVer project will focus on four main objectives:
- Optimizing pyro-hydro-metallurgical processing to enhance lithium extraction efficiency from spodumene.
- Developing a novel secondary lithium sulfate recovery process, enabling improved lithium recovery rates.
- Integrating primary and secondary lithium sulfate streams to boost overall LHM production yield.
- Conducting pilot-scale demonstrations to establish commercial viability for the enhanced lithium extraction process.
With this project, Rock Tech aims to drive forward the EU’s critical raw materials strategy and sustainability goals by producing high-purity LHM for electric vehicle batteries regionally.
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