Lithium Can Be Extracted From Groundwater At Geothermal Installations

An anonymous reader quotes a report from CleanTechnica: Scientists at the KIT Energy Center at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology say there is enough lithium dissolved in the groundwater extracted by German geothermal heating and electricity installations to meet the needs of most if not all of the battery manufacturers in the country. "As far as we know, there can be up to 200 milligrams per liter," says geoscientist Dr. Jens Grimmer of the Institute of Applied Geosciences at KIT. "If we consistently use this potential, we could cover a considerable part of the demand in Germany." Dr. Florencia Saravia from the research unit of the German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water (DVGW) adds: "We export many environmental problems to third countries in order to maintain and improve our living standards. With this process, we can assume our responsibility and extract important raw materials for modern technologies in an environmentally friendly way right on our own doorstep. We can also build up regional value chains, create jobs, and reduce geopolitical dependencies at the same time."

Until now, there was no cost effective way to extract lithium from the groundwater geothermal facilities process to make heat or electricity. The Grimmer/Saravia process hopes to change that. "In a first step, the lithium ions are filtered out of the thermal water and in a second step, they are further concentrated until lithium can be precipitated as a salt," says Grimmer. The lithium precipitate is produced in only a few hours. KIT has applied for a patent based on the work of the two scientists. A pilot "proof of concept" program is taking place at one geothermal facility. If it proves successful, a larger commercial scale installation will follow. There are other commercial applications involved. The Grimmer/Saravia process can also capture other valuable elements such as rubidium or cesium from the thermal water, increasing the commercial importance of the discovery.

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