Gradiant, a leading global provider of advanced water and wastewater solutions, announces the spin-off of alkaLi , powered by EC2, world’s only integrated solution for battery-grade lithium extraction, concentration and conversion, into an independent company dedicated to accelerating the scale-up of battery-grade lithium production .
As electric vehicles, energy storage systems and portable electronic devices drive global demand for lithium, EC 2 provides producers with an unprecedented new way to quickly scale up lithium production. Features of EC 2 include: instantaneous production in seconds, not years; reduced costs, 50% reduction in operating expenses (OPEX) and zero capital expenditure (CAPEX); industry-leading sustainability, with significantly reduced carbon and water footprints; and accelerated approval processes to meet global lithium demand. The entire system is balanced, integrated, and can adapt to a variety of input sources.
alkaLi’s EC 2 is a highly modular, three-stage system that can accommodate the widest range of source inputs to date, including brine, evaporation and recovery. The technology can be deployed in complete or standalone stages, integrating with existing field infrastructure and optionally using SmartOps AI to increase production. EC 2 has been lab-tested and field-tested, and successfully completed a commercially proven system. alkaLi will continue to offer the flexible business model that Gradiant is known for: providing producers with a zero capital expenditure option, with the company building, owning and operating the solution.
“Gradiant is driven by a clear purpose to ensure water security for future generations. So beyond water, we are passionate about holistic environmental solutions, including the successful electrification of society to reduce the burden of fossil fuels,” said Prakash Govindan, Chief Operating Officer of Gradiant. “Lithium is in short supply. We must accelerate the scale of our production solutions, and it is for this reason that we are spinning out alkaLi, a fully independent company focused on maximizing the efficiency of battery-grade lithium production.”
Siva Kumar Kota, Head of Technology, added: “Gradiant is different. We are more than just a water company, we are a technology company. EC 2 is powered by our revolutionary RO Infinity counter-current reverse osmosis technology. The CFRO operates with significantly lower energy and water requirements, with concentration limits close to saturation, without the environmental impacts common with existing technologies.”
alkaLi’s EC2 solution sets new industry standards for the extraction, concentration and conversion of battery-grade lithium, optimizing efficiency and sustainability at every stage:
Extraction: Synthetic resins and new membrane materials greatly optimize lithium extraction efficiency, far exceeding industry standards, uniquely reaching second-generation levels , and obtaining the most lithium-rich concentrate to maximize downstream efficiency. The system produces a lean solution with a lower lithium concentration and directs it to the CFRO unit in the concentration stage.
Concentration: Powered by Gradiant’s award-winning CFRO, maximizes system efficiency with energy consumption an order of magnitude lower than thermal processing.
- CFRO I receives lithium-rich concentrate and further concentrates it to a level sufficient to convert it into battery-grade lithium
- CFRO II receives lean solution with lower lithium concentration, reducing TDS to below regulatory limits, thus speeding up licensing
Conversion: The concentrated lithium is precipitated as a solid to produce battery grade lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ) or lithium hydroxide (LiOH).
SOURCE: Businesswire