EnergyX lithium extraction pilot plant begins operations in Bolivia

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – EnergyX has successfully deployed the first of three Litas pilot plants in Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest lithium resource.

US-based technology company Energy Exploration Technologies Inc (EnergyX) announces that it has successfully deployed the first of three trademarked Litas pilot plants, a containerized direct lithium extraction (DLE) unit, for operation in Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest lithium resource.

Bolivia’s lithium resources are largely untapped. The Government of Evo Morales launched an international call for tender to extract lithium in May 2021: this was the second attempt to activate the lithium industry in the country with the world’s largest deposits, as YLB and Germany’s ACI Systems created in October 2019 a Joint-Venture to exploit Bolivia’s lithium that the Government canceled by decree a month later without prior notice.

EnergyX explains that it first licensed its core technology from the University of Texas in May 2019, and 2 years later has assembled a team of 30 scientists and engineers and accumulated over 40 patents.

Now EnergyX has manufactured and shipped the world’s first direct lithium extraction unit to South America’s Lithium Triangle.

Following successful prototype testing results at its Austin, TX, facility adjacent to Tesla’s new world headquarters, its Litas units have been shown to dramatically improve lithium recovery rates in Bolivia’s largest lithium deposits, making it a viable resource.

EnergyX is one of nine companies approached by the Bolivian Government to develop the technology in the domestic lithium market and is the first to build, test, and ship a pilot plant with its associated support structure.

EnergyX claims that lithium demand for its proprietary direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology will increase by 400% by 2025. To meet this demand, Litas’ operations must scale up and develop every aspect of its supply chain.

The biggest hurdle up to this point had been the time commitment surrounding lithium yields, whether from brines or hard rock, which could take several months per tonne.

While currently complementing existing extraction infrastructure, EnergyX’s Litas system could eventually supplant current extraction methods by improving cost, time and throughput, while having a much smaller environmental footprint.