Elon Musk confidante Teague Egan is also developing Li-Ion batteries with far higher energy densities and lifespans.
EnergyX believes that direct lithium extraction (DLE) will replace conventional lithium extraction methods. In a 5-month pilot project, the cleantech company achieved outstanding results: more than 90 percent of the lithium in the brine was filtered out. The technology has the potential to fundamentally change the way the “white gold” is mined. But how exactly does the process work? And can it already be used on a large scale? Read on to learn more about it.
Traditionally, lithium has been obtained by mining rock, a process associated with high environmental impact. EnergyX, on the other hand, uses brine wells, which are typically a waste product from geothermal and oil and gas wells. The Company extracts the lithium from these sources and recycles the water, enabling sustainable lithium mining.
With the LiTAS technology, which includes DLE, EnergyX wants to change the entire lithium value chain in the long term. LiTAS stands for “Lithium Extraction from Saltwater” and is a technology developed by EnergyX for direct lithium extraction from brine, a saltwater reservoir that contains lithium compounds.
Read more about lithium for electric cars here.
The technology uses a combination of ion exchange (SIX), electroabsorption and high-temperature electrolysis of brine to extract the lithium directly from the brine. Compared to traditional methods such as evaporation, which involves evaporating brine in shallow pools to concentrate the lithium, LITAS is faster, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly.
The technology turns previous processes upside down: The LITAS Direct Extraction solution filters out 90 percent of the lithium ions within a few days. Instead of 68,000 liters, this method only needs 800 liters. The new process is also superior to brine extraction in terms of price.
EnergyX’s technology has the potential to revolutionize the lithium extraction industry by reducing production costs, speeding up the process and reducing CO2-Footprint reduced. It could also help meet the global need for lithium for battery production, as demand for batteries for electric vehicles and other applications is expected to increase sharply in the coming years.
Water consumption is high when extracting from the environment and is around 68,000 liters per tonne of the coveted raw material. Exactly this one Resource consumption is a thorn in EnergyX’s side. Its founder Teague Egan recognized the importance of global transformation three years ago, and set out to find better methods.
Materials for Li-ion batteries
But in addition to the revolution in lithium extraction from brine, EnergyX is pursuing a completely different goal: it is developing from lithium advanced materials for Li-ion batterieswhich lead to 200 percent higher energy density and at the same time should be more durable.
An important focus is on the development of cathode materials that have a higher energy density and a longer service life. Another focus is the development of electrolytes that have better conductivity and can thus increase the efficiency of the battery.
The company was founded in 2018 by Teague Egan, an entrepreneur with a history in renewable energy and technology. EnergyX aims to revolutionize the way lithium-ion batteries are made. The company uses a unique technology that allows lithium to be extracted from brine sources.
Incidentally, Teague Egan is a close confidant of Elon Musk – Egan was one of the first Tesla investors and earned a lot of money with it – came across two membrane filter technologies, including one from the University of Texas. And it is precisely this mining solution that he is consistently developing further in order to completely change the promotion.
It’s no surprise that EnergyX is attracting huge investor interest: it has been known since July 2022 that the cleantech company has raised up to $450 million from GEM Group. The capital will be paid out in the course of the IPO that EnergyX is planning in 2023. In January 2023, the company closed another round of financing.
Volkswagen cooperates with EnergyX
EnergyX has formed several significant partnerships, including with German automaker Volkswagen. The company will supply Volkswagen with lithium for its electric vehicles. In addition, the cleantech company also has partnerships with LG Chem and the Queensland Government in Australia.
Piloprojekt in Arkansas
The cleantech company ran a five-month pilot at a brine facility in Arkansas beginning in October 2020. The results were outstanding: With their DLE method, they were able to filter well over 90 percent of the lithium in the brine within a few days. The pilot served as proof of the effectiveness and efficiency of the technology.
