Published: February 4, 2022 |

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Rock Tech Lithium Inc. and Bilfinger SE have agreed to cooperate on building Europe’s first lithium refinery in a push to supply the region’s shift toward battery-powered cars.

The Canadian miner and the German industrial services provider have signed a memorandum of understanding to build a lithium hydroxide converter for Rock Tech’s planned battery-metals facility in Guben southeast of Berlin, according to a joint statement Wednesday.

Bilfinger will do engineering work and later potentially also procurement for the plant that’s expected to have an annual production capacity of 24,000 metric tons of lithium hydroxide — enough to supply batteries for half a million electric vehicles. The facility is due to start production in 2024.

“The production of lithium hydroxide as a component of electric car batteries is essential for a climate-friendly mobility transition. The concept developed by Rock Tech Lithium for the construction of the lithium refining plant is innovative and technologically convincing,” said Bilfinger’s interim-Chief Executive Officer Christina Johansson.

“We look forward to helping shape the further steps towards the implementation of the project with our decades of experience in planning and construction management of industrial plants,” added Johansson.

Refineries are needed to convert the lithium oxide found in spodumene rock deposits into battery-grade chemicals. Having a local smelter would allow Europe to avoid some of the complex logistics involved in shipping what is a highly corrosive substance that reacts violently with water.

Rock Tech plans to largely source the ore for the German factory — which would be near Tesla Inc.’s planned facility and a Volkswagen AG EV plant — from its own spodumene mine in Georgia Lake, Ontario.

Source: Time

About Rock Tech Lithium
Rock Tech Lithium is a clean-tech company operating in Germany and Canada that will supply the automotive industry with high quality lithium hydroxide “made in Germany”. As early as 2024, the company will commission Europe’s first lithium converter with a production capacity of 24,000 metric tons per year. An amount sufficient to equip around 500,000 electric cars with lithium-ion batteries. The clean tech company aims to create the world’s first closed loop for lithium, closing the raw material gap on the road to clean mobility. Rock Tech owns the Georgia Lake lithium project in Ontario, Canada.

To stop by Rock Tech’s website, CLICK HERE

About Bilfinger
Bilfinger is a leading international industrial services provider. The group increases the efficiency of plants, ensures high availability and reduces maintenance costs. The portfolio covers the entire value chain: from consulting, engineering, manufacturing, assembly, maintenance, plant expansion and its general overhaul to environmental technologies and digital applications. The company provides its services in two business units: engineering & maintenance and technologies. Bilfinger is particularly active in Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Its customers in the process industry come from sectors including chemicals & petrochemicals, energy & utilities, oil & gas, pharmaceuticals & biopharma, metallurgy and cement.

To stop by Bilfinger’s website, CLICK HERE

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