Calix and Pilbara Minerals enter lithium joint venture

Calix has announced that it has started a formal joint venture with Pilbara Minerals for a decarbonised lithium refining project that aims to create a new, high value and low carbon intensity lithium product in the Pilbara.

The joint venture follows a successful joint initial scoping study and a close working relationship built over the past 18 months.

“Calix is delighted to formally announce our joint venture agreement with Pilbara Minerals for the development of a sustainable, high value mid-stream lithium product,” said Calix Managing Director and CEO Phil Hodgson. “Calix is focused on decarbonising our essential industries, utilising our core technology’s ability to electrify industrial processing, and minimising the waste and CO₂ footprint of minerals.

“We are excited to join forces with Pilbara Minerals and formalise our close working relationship built over the past 18 months. We will apply our combined capabilities to generate a more sustainable and valuable Australian lithium product.”

Pilbara Minerals’ Managing Director and CEO, Dale Henderson, agreed: “It’s a great privilege to enter this partnership with Calix. The mid-stream project has the potential to be a game changer for our industry.

“If successful, we will be able to deliver a superior product to market that will attract a premium compared to spodumene concentrate, as well as a reduction in Scope 3 emissions within the lithium supply chain.”

The ‘mid-stream’ project aims to produce a superior lithium export product via Calix’s calcination technology for sustainable processing of minerals.

The proposed renewably powered at-mine processing innovation is targeting a refined lithium salt product that greatly reduces the cost, waste and CO₂ footprint of Australian lithium, creating a significantly higher value export product.

The project includes the potential development of a demonstration plant at Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora Project and is supported by $20 million in Australian Government funding announced under the Modern Manufacturing Initiative. A financial investment decision on the proposed demonstration plant is planned before the end of FY23.

Australia currently produces nearly half the world’s lithium, with the global market for lithium carbonate and equivalents projected to grow six times by 2030. Industrial decarbonisation tailwinds also continue to drive demand for renewably powered, low waste processing solutions for the materials of our future economy. A successful mid-stream project will enable the joint venture to license the technology to the global spodumene processing industry.

“This is world-first Australian technology, being developed by two great Australian companies on Australian soil, and with the support of the Australian Government this is an exceptional opportunity for all of us,” Henderson concluded.

Image: Pilbara Minerals