The Dutch LiSA consortium (Lithium Refining via Salt‑Assisted Crystallisation) has secured €2 million in government funding to demonstrate a lower‑energy, salt‑crystallisation‑based route to battery‑grade lithium.
The pilot will evaluate lithium chloride sourced from European geothermal brines and recycled batteries, integrating recycling, refining and industrial scale‑up within a single circular flowsheet.
The process centres on Nobian’s salt‑based crystallisation technology, which converts lithium chloride into lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate through a patented electrochemical–crystallisation sequence. Lithium chloride solution is combined with caustic soda and passed through two crystallisation stages that separate lithium hydroxide and sodium chloride. The sodium chloride is then recycled through Nobian’s chlor‑alkali electrolyzers to regenerate caustic soda, closing the reagent loop.
Compared with conventional refining, the LiSA route is expected to reduce energy consumption by around 50%, cut CO₂ emissions by around 50%, lower water use and minimise waste streams. A pilot‑scale research facility will be built to test multiple feedstocks, optimise crystallisation conditions and assess impurity behaviour in recycled lithium streams.
The project aims to strengthen Europe’s battery value chain by reducing import dependency and improving access to strategic raw materials. By refining lithium from geothermal sources and end‑of‑life batteries, the project lays groundwork for a circular lithium ecosystem in Europe.
Coert van Lare said: “LiSA leverages Nobian’s electrochemistry and crystallization capabilities to help address one of Europe’s key raw material challenges.” Markus Mingenbach added that the project “creates a scalable pathway into the battery chemicals value chain.” Steven Lans noted: “We recover critical raw materials from end-of-life batteries and put them back into new batteries, without any loss of performance.”
The consortium includes Nobian, Back to Battery, Demcon Suster, the University of Twente and ISPT.
Image credit: Nobian
