REG - Alkemy Capital Invs. - Manufacturer confirms TVL’s ultra pure Lithium

Alkemy Capital InvestmentsAnnouncement

23/05/2022 07:00

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RNS Number : 3464M  Alkemy Capital Investments PLC  23 May 2022

 

23 May 2022

 

Alkemy Capital Investments Plc

 

 

Cathode Active Material manufacturer confirms Tees Valley Lithium's ultra-pure
battery-grade lithium hydroxide exceeds prevailing standards

 

 

Tees Valley Lithium Limited ("Tees Valley Lithium" or "TVL") is pleased to
announce that the specifications of the ultra-pure battery-grade Lithium
Hydroxide it will produce are higher than the prevailing industry standards.

 

The testwork was performed by leading technology provider JordProxa and
independently verified by an internationally recognised cathode active
material manufacturer.

 

Tees Valley Lithium is a wholly-owned subsidiary of LSE listed Alkemy Capital
Investments Plc and is looking to establish a world-class, independent and
sustainable Lithium Hydroxide production facility at the Wilton International
Chemicals park in the Teesside Freeport, UK.

By sourcing low carbon feedstock and powering an electrochemical process with
Offshore Wind Tees Valley Lithium is aiming to supply its customers with the
world's lowest carbon Lithium Hydroxide.

 

HIGHLIGHTS:

·   Ongoing testwork had produced ultra-pure battery-grade lithium hydroxide
from low quality industrial grade (95%) lithium sulphate

·   Product superior to prevalent Chinese standard specification GB/T
26008-2020 D1

·   Full end product specifications now identified and independently
verified by an internationally recognised cathode active material manufacturer

·  Testwork completed by JordProxa, a globally recognised technology
provider, confirms ability to upscale to commercial production

 

Tees Valley Lithium CEO John Walker commented:

 

"These outstanding testwork results and third-party validation by a cathode
active material manufacturer is yet another positive milestone for Tees Valley
Lithium. The conversion of industrial grade lithium sulphate to ultra high
purity lithium hydroxide highlights the robustness of our process. These
excellent results also pave the way for advancing our discussions with
suppliers of feedstock as well as off-takers of lithium hydroxide.

We continue to move quickly to establish the UK's first major independent and
sustainable lithium hydroxide producer at the Wilton International Chemical
Park in the Teesside Freeport to supply burgeoning demand from the European
giga factories."

 

Metallurgical Testwork

Tees Valley Lithium announced the results of its Feasibility Study (announced
on 27 April 2022) for a 96,000tpa lithium hydroxide production facility to be
developed at Wilton International Chemical Park in Teesside, UK.

As part of the Feasibility Study, various metallurgical testwork programmes
were undertaken by a number of leading laboratories in the field of lithium
and speciality minerals processing and treatment.

The testwork  in respect of the proposed train 1 Glauber's Salt route was
completed by JordProxa Pty Ltd, a leading technology provider for
crystallisation equipment used in the production of lithium hydroxide products
and was overseen by Wave International, a leading engineering consultancy firm
with significant experience in developing lithium hydroxide projects
worldwide.

The product specification of TVL's battery-grade lithium hydroxide was also
independently validated by an internationally recognised cathode active
material manufacturer as well as a prominent European-based battery technology
manufacturing company.

Utilising the facilities of a technology provider gives a high degree of
confidence in scale-up of the process, and the ability to replicate the
testwork results in commercial scale equipment.

A key programme undertaken to support the proposed Glauber's Salt route was
Glauber's Salt and lithium hydroxide crystallisation. The crystallisation
testwork programme was designed to prove that the causticisation and
crystallisation process could produce a final ultra-pure lithium hydroxide end
product. This programme included causticisation, Glauber's Salt
crystallisation, three stage lithium hydroxide crystallisation, and Zero
Liquid Discharge (ZLD) crystallisation.

A representative feed material of purified lithium sulphate was processed at
JordProxa's facilities, following the proposed train 1 flowsheet. The purified
lithium sulphate is representative of the output of the impurity removal
circuit based on industrial grade feedstock at 95% lithium sulphate purity.

After three stages of crystallisation, an ultra-pure battery grade lithium
hydroxide product was produced, exceeding the Chinese Standard GB/T 26008-2020
D1 as well as TVL's target specifications. The full results and specifications
are set out in Table 1 below.

Table 1 - Lithium Hydroxide Product Specifications

 ANALYTE              UNIT  GB/T 26008-2020 D1  TVL TARGET  TVL TESTWORK RESULT  TARGET
 LiOH                 %     56.5% ~57.5%        59%         99.90%               Exceeded, calculated by difference
 Al                   ppm   -                   ≤1          <0.5                 Exceeded
 Ca                   ppm   ≤20                 ≤15         2.8                  Exceeded
 Cu                   ppm   ≤1                  ≤1          <0.3                 Exceeded
 Fe                   ppm   ≤7                  ≤7          <2.5                 Exceeded
 K                    ppm   ≤30                 ≤10         5.2                  Exceeded
 Mg                   ppm   ≤10                 ≤10         <2.5                 Exceeded
 Mn                   ppm   ≤10                 ≤10         <1                   Exceeded
 Na                   ppm   ≤50                 ≤50         3.8                  Exceeded
 Ni                   ppm   -                   ≤10         <2.5                 Exceeded
 Si                   ppm   ≤50                 ≤30         8.1                  Exceeded
 Zn                   ppm   -                   ≤10         0.9                  Exceeded
 Cl-                  ppm   ≤20                 ≤20         8.0                  Exceeded
 SO42-                ppm   ≤80                 ≤80         20.5                 Exceeded
 CO32-                %     ≤0.4                ≤0.2%       .09                  Exceeded
 B                    ppm   ≤50                 ≤50         <1                   Exceeded
 Acid Insoluble       ppm   ≤50                 ≤50         Not analysed         N/A
 Magnetic Impurities  ppb   ≤50                 ≤50-        Not analysed         N/A

 

Whilst Chinese Standard GB/T 26008-2020 D1 is considered to be the industry
reference for battery grade LHM, Tees Valley Lithium will aim to produce a
premium product which exceeds these requirements and will be attractive to
tier 1 customers.

The production of an ultra-pure, premium product from TVL's flowsheet (without
the need for extensive optimisation) validates the robust flowsheet adopted
and represents a significant milestone.

Further testwork to be undertaken will include the production of larger
customer samples from the Glauber's Salt process and crystallisation of
liquors from the electrochemical testwork to further refine the ultra-pure
battery grade lithium hydroxide produced from this process.

 

Figure 1 - Crystallisation testwork at JordProxa. Top left: glass jar
crystallisers. Top right: crystallisers. Bottom left: centrifuge. Bottom
right: LHM crystals. To view the images, please click on the following link
https://www.alkemycapital.co.uk/images/2022/May/Figure_1.jpg
(https://www.alkemycapital.co.uk/images/2022/May/Figure_1.jpg)

 

Further information

For further information, please visit the Company's website:
www.alkemycapital.co.uk (http://www.alkemycapital.co.uk) or
www.teesvalleylithium.co.uk (http://www.teesvalleylithium.co.uk)

-Ends-

 

 Alkemy Capital Investments Plc    Tel: 0207 317 0636

 Sam Quinn                         info@alkemycapital.co.uk (mailto:info@alkemycapital.co.uk)

 VSA Capital Limited               Tel: 0203 005 5000

 Andrew Monk (corporate broking)   amonk@vsacapital.com (mailto:amonk@vsacapital.com)

 Andrew Raca (corporate finance)   araca@vsacapital.com (mailto:araca@vsacapital.com)
 Shard Capital Partners LLP

 Damon Heath                       Tel: 0207 186 9952

                                   damon.heath@shardcapital.com (mailto:damon.heath@shardcapital.com)

 Isabella Pierre                   Tel: 0207 186 9927

                                   isabella.pierre@shardcapital.com (mailto:isabella.pierre@shardcapital.com)

 

 

NOTES TO EDITORS

 

Alkemy is seeking to develop, construct and operate the world's leading
independent and sustainable lithium hydroxide production facility.

 

Alkemy, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Tees Valley Lithium, has secured a
9.6ha brownfields site at the Wilton International Chemical Park located in
Teesside, a major UK Freeport.

 

Alkemy has completed a Class 4 Feasibility Study for its proposed lithium
hydroxide facility which will process feedstock imported from various sources
to produce 96,000 tonnes of premium, low-carbon lithium hydroxide annually,
representing around 15% of Europe's projected demand.

 

 

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward‐looking information. The statements are
based on reasonable assumptions and expectations of management and Alkemy
provides no assurance that actual events will meet management's expectations.
In certain cases, forward‐looking information may be identified by such
terms as "anticipates", "believes", "could", "estimates", "expects", "may",
"shall", "will", or "would". Although Alkemy believes the expectations
expressed in such forward‐looking statements are based on reasonable
assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and
actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected.
Mining exploration and development is an inherently risky business. In
addition, factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from the
forward-looking information stated herein include any factors which affect
decisions to pursue mineral exploration on the relevant property and the
ultimate exercise of option rights, which may include changes in market
conditions, changes in metal prices, general economic and political
conditions, environmental risks, and community and non-governmental actions.
Such factors will also affect whether Alkemy will ultimately receive the
benefits anticipated pursuant to relevant agreements. This list is not
exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the forward‐looking
statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers
should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

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