Aquatech has announced the launch of PEARL™, a comprehensive technology platform enabling optimized full flow sheet process development and at-scale delivery for the extraction, refining, and purification of lithium.
PEARL™ (Purification, Extraction and Refining of Lithium) enables the production of battery-grade lithium from a diverse range of feedstock, including hard rock, clay, and continental, geothermal, or oilfield brines.
Reflecting Aquatech’s commitment to full life-cycle partnerships with lithium resource owners, the PEARL™ technology platform encompasses:
End-to-end integration, including process development, full-scale execution and facilities O&M
Full process wrap backed by performance guarantees
Customized, fit-for-resource process technology to deliver desired project outcomes
The PEARL™ platform enables a fit-for-resource approach, which ensures that each process solution is optimized to the unique mineralogy of any resource. This approach is supported by Aquatech’s industry-leading applied development, testing and validation capabilities, and by decades of experience delivering complex process solutions that underpin hundreds of billions of dollars of capital projects delivery.
“PEARL™ is the enabling solution for critical minerals, addressing the industry’s core pain points: fragmented solutions, technical and schedule risk, and long project development cycles,” said Venkee Sharma, Executive Chairman at Aquatech. “With PEARL™, we deliver an optimized full flow sheet technology solution that is tailored to specific lithium resources, tested and validated in-house, and backed by full-scale delivery with performance guarantees. The result is lower CAPEX and OPEX, higher recovery, and accelerated time to market.”
The PEARL™ platform spans three core process technology groups:
Adsorbent-based lithium extraction
Eluate/post-leach purification and concentration
Lithium chemical conversion and refining
Aquatech’s lithium process technology solutions power the world’s foremost lithium projects, from Rio Tinto’s salar brine operation at Hombre Muerto in Argentina to Lithium Americas’ Thacker Pass project in Nevada, USA, the largest known lithium resource in North America.
Learn more at pearl.aquatech.com
Aquatech enables the world's most recognized companies to solve complex challenges in critical minerals processing, water reuse, desalination, minimal and zero liquid discharge. We leverage technological leadership and innovative engineering to accelerate global progress toward solving water scarcity and ensuring critical minerals security.
Our research and development spans membrane manufacturing, performance chemicals, digital service solutions, lithium refining, and all major water & wastewater treatment technology areas. The depth and breadth of Aquatech’s services, technology portfolio and project execution capabilities are grounded in a culture of performance excellence built up over four decades of industry experience, with thousands of facilities using our solutions in over 60 countries.
Lithium refining capacity in the US has vast potential, but it's currently unmet. To meet demand, we must reroute the trajectory of the US lithium landscape to avoid unpredictable supply chains and pricing, greater capital expenditure, and the hindrance of some of the nation's critical industries.
Aquatech has announced a growth investment from Cerberus Capital Management, L.P., a global leader in alternative investing.