Extracting brine from an underground deposit 400 metres below the surface
Lithium is extracted from brine: groundwater with a high concentration of salts, 10 times more concentrated than sea water. In Centenario-Ratones, we pump brine with wells from depths of around 250-400 meters below the surface. The Centenario-Ratones deposit is home to a total 15 million metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) resource and the first phase of the project will only extract 6% of the natural brine from the deposit over 20 years of operation.
Let’s talk responsible extraction
While achieving similar lithium carbonate quality, Direct Lithium Extraction pumps half as much brine compared to the conventional natural evaporation process. Our direct lithium extraction technology minimizes the lithium losses, enabling us to use the deposit for a longer period, avoiding opening another plant elsewhere.
