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| Geo40's commercial demonstration plant at Ohaaki. |
A Taupō company has made a breakthrough in extracting near battery-grade lithium from geothermal fluid which its says could be a gamechanger.
Geo40 chief executive John Worth said the earth mineral was highly prized, with battery-grade lithium selling for US$10,000 (NZ$15,600) a tonne.
The commercial demonstration plant at Contact Energy's Ohaaki geothermal power station was originally built to extract silica, a mineral abundant in geothermal brines, but which blocks up pipes, Worth said.
Silica had to be removed before the lithium in geothermal brines could be extracted, he said.
Geo40 has been extracting silica for a some time, but the leap forward to lithium extraction was providing new commercial potential for the firm, he said.
- Tuesday, September 10, 2019 - New Zealand: Commercial Extraction of Silica from Geothermal Brine Plant Begins Construction
- Monday, July 8, 2019 - New Zealand: Government Provides Funding for Silica from Geothermal Brine Project
- Thursday, August 9, 2018 - New Zealand: Commercial Extraction of Silica from Geothermal Brine to Start This Month
- Tuesday, November 29, 2016 - New Zealand: Commercial Operation to Extract Silica from Geothermal Power Plant Wastewater
