Evonik supplies Liocel adsorbent for Neptune Energy's Altmark DLE Pilot Phase II
- Altmark resource estimated at 43 million tonnes lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE).
- Fraunhofer IEG pilot plant operates oxygen-free and can process up to 1,000 litres of geothermal brine per day.
- Evonik's Liocel® adsorbent selected as the first material for Pilot Phase II and will be supported with on-site application and process know-how.
- Pilot Phase I evaluated ion-exchange and adsorption and selected adsorption technology for further investigation.
Project context
Neptune Energy is advancing the Altmark Lithium Extraction Project (ALE) to extract lithium from geothermal brine in Saxony-Anhalt, where a project-specific resource is estimated at 43 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE).
Pilot Phase II and plant
Following Pilot Phase I, which evaluated ion-exchange and adsorption processes under Altmark-specific conditions and favoured adsorption, Pilot Phase II will test adsorption materials in a pilot plant developed by Fraunhofer IEG. The pilot plant enables oxygen-free lithium extraction and can process up to 1,000 litres of geothermal brine per day. Various adsorbent materials will be assessed over the coming months to support selection for potential industrial-scale deployment.
Evonik's role
Evonik Catalysts has been selected to provide its Liocel® adsorbent as the first material for evaluation after demonstrating stability and strong performance in preliminary testing, and will provide application and process know-how on-site. Michael Frey, Vice President and Head of Process Catalysts & Adsorbents at Evonik, said the company looks forward to further evaluating adsorption-based lithium extraction under the specific conditions of the Altmark resource.
Source: Evonik