Canadian lithium explorer PMET Resources’ “preliminary validation” of an Australian-developed atmospheric leach process in high-grade lithium carbonate production comes at a good time for the technology’s owner.
Primero Group, a subsidiary of ASX-listed contractor NRW Holdings, continues to assess commercialisation options for its proprietary ALi process with NRW saying talks with “a number of global investment banks” are ongoing.
PMET said ALi was its “preferred value-added pathway for further study” following a “structured review of seven processing flowsheet options to produce a value-added lithium product” from its Shaakichiuwaanaan lithium project in Quebec’s James Bay region.
PMET’s 2025 feasibility study outlined a circa-C$2 billion, 20-year spodumene pegmatite operation able to produce up to 800,000 tonnes per annum of spodumene concentrate from a 5.1 million tonnes per annum processing facility, which would put it among the largest hard-rock lithium projects globally.
The company said this week Primero’s ALi process demonstrated better overall economic potential, logistics efficiency, technical risk and environmental benefits compared with other options
“Bench-scale testwork on Shaakichiuwaanaan spodumene concentrate samples has been undertaken by Primero in Perth, Western Australia, using the ALi process, producing a 99.8% Li2CO3 battery-grade lithium carbonate,” PMET said.
“If combined with the use of electric calcination through Quebec’s low-cost renewable energy, on-site value-added processing has future potential to reduce carbon intensity and improve efficiencies within the battery materials supply chain.”
PMET described ALi as being among a new generation of acid-free lithium conversion flowsheets that could replace conventional high-temperature sulfuric-acid roast with alkaline chemistry. It said ALi was conceived to reduce reagent intensity and concentrated-acid handling, cut process waste and produce a more benign, potentially reusable residue.
“The same acid-free approach – albeit leaching at high-pressure – is used at Tesla’s lithium refinery in Texas, the highest-profile commercial-scale example to date,” PMET said.
“Tesla refines spodumene at the chemical conversion facility in Texas, rather than shipping concentrate offshore for conversion. ALi would apply that same principle at the Shaakichiuwaanaan mine gate, while targeting battery-grade lithium carbonate.”
PMET CEO Ken Brinsden said: “For decades the industry has mined hard-rock lithium in one place and refined it in another, often overseas, which is hardly the most efficient supply chain solution.
“The work we’re reporting today points to the potential for a redefinition of the supply chain.
“It could be a credible alternate pathway, demonstrated at bench scale with our spodumene concentrates, to refine battery-grade lithium at the mine gate in a stable Western, low-carbon supply chain.
“This is the kind of industry step-change, supported by Shaakichiuwaanaan’s premier geology, that drew me to this project.”
