Name of the Project
Kachi lithium brine project.

Location
Catamarca, Argentina.

Project Owner/s
Lake Resources.

Project Description
A prefeasibility study (PFS) has demonstrated Kachi’s potential to deliver high-purity product required by battery makers, based on a sustainable and scalable process.

The PFS envisages a long-life, low-cost operation, with a production target of 25 500 t/y of battery-grade lithium carbonate using direct lithium extraction technology based on ion exchange, which, in turn, is based on an indi­cated resource of one-million tonnes lithium car­bonate equivalent.

The process involves the treatment of about 23-million cubic metres a year of brine at 250 g/ℓ lithium, with an overall plant recovery of 83.2%. The eluate from the process is further concentrated and purified, and then fed into a conventional lithium carbonate plant.

No solvent extraction plant is required to remove boron.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has a pretax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of $1.05-billion and an internal rate of return of 25%, with a payback from first product delivery of five years.

Capital Expenditure
The project entails an investment of $544-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
Lake Resources has received formal interest from the UK’s export credit agency to cover 70% of the funding needed for the Kachi project.

UK Export Finance also indicated it will increase funding to boost lithium output at the project amid rising demand for the metal used in electric-vehicle batteries.

Lake Resources has said the funding is not binding yet, and is subject to offtake contracts, due diligence and the completion of a project feasibility study in the Catamarca province of Argentina.

The company aims to finish the study by the end of the first quarter of next year, with construction after a final decision expected to start in mid-2022.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Lilac Solutions (lithium extraction testwork) and Hatch (engineering and design services).

Contact Details for Project Information
Lake Wells, tel +61 2 9299 9690 or email hello@lakeresources.com.au.