REG - Alkemy Capital Invs. - TVL Secures Technology and Vendor Partnerships

Alkemy Capital InvestmentsAnnouncement

04/12/2023 07:00

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RNS Number : 4833V  Alkemy Capital Investments PLC  04 December 2023

 

 

4 December 2023

 

Alkemy Capital Investments Plc

 

TVL Secures Strategic Technology and Vendor Partnerships, Advancing Lithium
Refinery Project

 

Alkemy Capital Investments plc ("Alkemy") (ALK:LSE) (JV2:FRA) and its wholly
owned subsidiary Tees Valley Lithium ("TVL") are delighted to announce
significant milestones in the development of TVL's state-of-the-art lithium
processing plant at the Wilton International Chemicals Park in Teesside, North
East England.

 

HIGHLIGHTS:

·    TVL has awarded preferred vendor status to industry-leaders JordProxa
and Eurodia Industrie SAS, marking a pivotal phase in engineering and piloting
for its Wilton lithium refinery.

 

·    TVL's Train 1 will implement the standard causticisation processing
for producing battery grade lithium chemicals, with JordProxa as the chosen
vendor for crystalliser technology. Trains 2, 3 and 4 will revolutionise
lithium production with a low-carbon electrochemical processing route, with
Eurodia providing cutting-edge electrochemical cells.

 

·    TVL's collaboration with Wave International as lead engineering and
technical partner has enabled a rigorous selection of vendors, ensuring TVL is
equipped with the most advanced and reliable technologies in the market.

 

TVL is delighted to announce a pivotal milestone in its Front-End Engineering
and Design (FEED) related activities for the Wilton lithium refinery.

The completion of the technology selection process and the awarding of
preferred vendor status to two industry leaders - JordProxa and Eurodia
Industrie SAS - represent significant steps forward in the project's
development.

These achievements not only underscore TVL's dedication to leveraging
cutting-edge technology but also strengthen the project through partnerships
with industry-leading vendors. This progress is instrumental in ensuring that
TVL's refinery design is innovative, sustainable and optimized for efficiency.

Located at the Wilton International Chemicals Park in Teesside, UK, the home
to chemical operations of Anglo American, SABIC and Huntsman, TVL is at the
forefront of developing low-carbon lithium refining for the UK and European
markets.

 

TVL's commitment to sustainability is exemplified by its adoption of an
electrochemical processing route. This state-of-the-art technology, coupled
with the utilisation of offshore wind energy, positions TVL to become a global
leader in low-carbon lithium production, with the aspiration to achieve a
zero-waste operation.

 

Wave International's industry-leading lithium expertise has enabled a
comprehensive technical and commercial evaluation of crucial technology
packages, leading to the selection of additional industry-leading partners, as
follows:

 

·    JordProxa: Awarded preferred vendor status for the PLS evaporator,
Glauber's salt/anhydrous sodium sulphate, and lithium hydroxide crystallisers.
JordProxa will be key in establishing a hydrometallurgical process island for
Train 1.

 

·    Eurodia Industrie SAS: Recognised for their innovation in
electrochemical cells, Eurodia have been chosen as the preferred vendor for
Train 2, underlining TVL's commitment to cutting-edge technology in lithium
processing.

 

Ryan Hanrahan, CEO of Wave International commented:

"The award of these two packages is a key milestone as the project moves to
progress FEED activities for Train 1 and piloting for Train 2. Through the
testwork and detailed evaluations, we have been able to demonstrate that the
key process equipment will meet the requirements of the flowsheet and enable
production of an ultra-pure lithium hydroxide monohydrate product."

 

Nipen Shah from Jord Proxa commented:

"JordProxa are pleased to be working with TVL and Wave International. Our
process technology for lithium hydroxide crystallisation is perfectly suited
to this project, and the testwork to date has demonstrated excellent results.
We look forward to progressing towards a final commercial agreement for what
looks to be the UK's first large scale Lithium Hydroxide processing facility."

 

Mathieu Bailly from Eurodia commented:

"Eurodia are pleased to see TVL as a company embracing electrochemistry as a
critical technology for next generation lithium hydroxide processing. With our
technology well proven in many industries, the independent testwork done by
TVL and other work we have completed on lithium processing provides for a
low-risk technology solution for the project. We look forward to progressing
the piloting works and further demonstrating the high purity product that can
be produced from our equipment."

 

Vikki Jeckell, Director of Alkemy and Tees Valley Lithium commented:

"We are delighted to announce today a significant milestone in our journey.
Awarding preferred vendor status to JordProxa and Eurodia is not just a
testament to our commitment to excellence, but also a recognition of the
innovative strides we are making in the industry.

Our partnerships with these industry leaders reflect our dedication to not
only align with the best but also to drive forward the standards of lithium
refining.  These collaborations are pivotal in our mission to innovate and
deliver sustainable, efficient, and cutting-edge solutions in the field.

On behalf of the board, I extend our gratitude to our team, partners, and
stakeholders who have been instrumental in reaching this milestone. We are
excited about the future and look forward to continuing our journey towards
excellence in lithium refining."

 

TVL Train 1 - Crystalliser technology package award - JordProxa

 

Train 1 utilises the standard causticisation process for the production of
lithium hydroxide monohydrate. The flowsheet comprises conversion of various
feedstocks if required, impurity removal, evaporation, glauber's salt
crystallisation, anhydrous sodium sulphate crystallisation and multi-stage
lithium hydroxide crystallisation followed by product handling and bagging.

 

The Class 4 study completed by Wave International as the lead process designer
defined the crystallisation circuit parameters. JordProxa have considered
these parameters and completed metallurgical testwork, producing high purity
Lithium hydroxide Monohydrate.

 

On this basis, a crystallisation process island has been proposed which
includes:

 

·    PLS evaporation;

·    Glauber's salt crystalliser;

·    Anhydrous sodium sulphate crystalliser; and

·    Multi-stage lithium hydroxide crystallisers.

 

The process island approach is a key aspect of the overall plant design,
simplifying the procurement activities and reducing interface risk. This
approach represents an evolution from what has been achieved by the recent
Australian plants and incorporates significant learnings from those projects.
This next generation of crystalliser design will provide for significant
technical de-risking of TVL's project.

 

Based on the preferred vendor status, TVL Wave International and JordProxa
will work together towards a finalised commercial contract including:

 

·    basic engineering and design (including modularisation);

·    process guarantees;

·    detailed manufacturing schedule including long lead milestones; and

·    further optimisation testwork and supply of pilot scale equipment.

 

The next phase of works planned is completion of basic engineering design,
which is a critical activity to underpin Front End Engineering Design (FEED)
for the balance of the plant and infrastructure.

 

Design for a pilot plant is also underway, which will produce sales and
marketing samples to progress product qualification.

 

TVL Train 2 - Electrochemical cell package award - Eurodia Industrie SAS

 

Train 2 utilises an electrochemical process to produce lithium hydroxide from
lithium sulphate or lithium carbonate. The front half of the flowsheet is
similar to the conventional process, with some additional impurity removal
stages ahead of the electrochemical cells. The electrochemical cells use
electricity (instead of a chemical reagent) to separate lithium sulphate into
sulphuric acid and lithium hydroxide, which can then be crystallised into
lithium hydroxide monohydrate. A similar, but simplified, crystallisation
circuit is used for this final step.

This approach is suited to a facility which has access to abundant, cheap
renewable energy and has the ESG benefits of:

·    removing the need for sodium hydroxide as a reagent (which is
currently in high demand); and

·    removing anhydrous sodium sulphate as a bi-product

The sulphuric acid bi-product can either be concentrated and used to digest
alternative feedstocks (or used in other low-specification applications) or
converted to gypsum and used in local industry. It is noted that gypsum is
currently imported at the adjacent PD Ports.

The separation of salts via electrochemical cells is a proven technology in
water treatment, with a number of large-scale plants operating throughout
Europe.

The Class 4 study by Wave International as the lead process designer defined
the electrochemical  circuit parameters. Metallurgical testwork was completed
in parallel at two specialist laboratories, including a membrane screening
program in which Eurodia membranes were compared to others by an independent
laboratory. This testwork independently showed the Eurodia technology to have
superior lithium recovery and sulphuric acid quality and was a key factor in
the technology selection.

Based on the preferred vendor status, TVL Wave International and Eurodia will
work together towards a finalised commercial contract including:

 

·    Basic engineering and design;

·    Process guarantees;

·    Detailed manufacturing schedule including long lead milestones; and

·    Further optimisation testwork and supply of pilot scale cells.

 

TVL and Wave International are jointly finalising the technology development
framework for Train 2, with the next stage being the completion of a pilot
scale plant development. The supply of a pilot scale cell and progression of
basic engineering design will be the next stages of engagement with Eurodia.

 

About Wave International

 

Wave International are a global consultancy firm, specialising in critical
metals, with over 20 years of experience in lithium processing. Wave
International are headquartered in Australia, with local operations in the UK
and the Netherlands.

 

Wave International have been instrumental in the development of advanced
Australian Lithium Hydroxide projects and are also undertaking key roles in
supporting the development of a number of high profile proposed European
lithium refineries.

 

About JordProxa

 

JordProxa delivers custom crystallisation and evaporation plant and systems to
produce ultra-pure battery chemicals.

 

As demand for lithium-ion batteries grows with the uptake of electric
vehicles, its crystalliser systems are playing a key role in meeting the
challenges of purity, sustainability and value.

 

About Eurodia Industrie SAS

 

The sooner the industry lessens its footprint, the further it will map its
future. As a global specialist in eco-efficient, custom industrial processes
for liquid purification, Eurodia is already designing and building the
solutions for this future-proofed model.

 

The Eurodia Group's solutions serve to extract and purify lithium salts from
various raw materials and recover lithium and other metals of interest (NMC /
Ni Mn Co) for processes that manufacture or recycle electric batteries.

 

 

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

                                 info@alkemycapital.co.uk
 SI Capital Limited              Tel: 0148 341 3500
 VSA Capital Limited             Tel: 0203 005 5000

 

 

ABOUT ALKEMY CAPITAL

 

Alkemy is seeking to establish independent and sustainable lithium hydroxide
production by developing lithium sulphate and lithium hydroxide facilities in
the UK and Australia.

 

Alkemy, through its wholly owned UK subsidiary Tees Valley Lithium, has
secured a 9.6 ha brownfields site with full planning permission at the Wilton
International Chemicals Park in Teesside, a major UK Freeport, to build the
UK's first and one of Europe's largest lithium hydroxide processing facility.

 

Tees Valley Lithium has completed a Class 4 Feasibility Study for its proposed
lithium hydroxide refinery which will process feedstock imported from
various sources to produce 96,000 tonnes of premium, low-carbon lithium
hydroxide or an equivalent amount of lithium carbonate annually, representing
around 15% of Europe's projected demand.

 

Alkemy, through its wholly owned Australian subsidiary Port Hedland Lithium,
has secured a 43.7 ha site at the Boodarie strategic industry area, near Port
Hedland, Western Australia to build a world-class sustainable lithium sulphate
refinery that will provide reliable feedstock for Tees Valley Lithium's
refinery.

 

Port Hedland Lithium has completed a Class 4 Feasibility Study for its
proposed lithium sulphate refinery, each train of which will process spodumene
concentrate to produce 40,000 tonnes of lithium sulphate annually.

 

 

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. In
addition, factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from the
forward-looking information stated herein 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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