The mining industry is working to boost freshwater recycling while also developing direct lithium extraction, or DLE, technologies as it races to reinvent how the battery metal is produced for the green energy transition, executives have said.
The surging global demand for lithium has sparked widespread interest in DLE technologies, which use less land and can operate far faster than hard rock mining and brine evaporation ponds – the traditional ways to process the white metal.
Some types of DLE technologies, though, require 180 metric tonnes or more of water to produce a single metric tonne of lithium, a usage that has sparked controversy in arid regions seeking to conserve potable water and one that has offset DLE's purported promise of curbing the mining industry's large water use.
Now, DLE developers are racing to boost freshwater recycling as they fine-tune the technology, part of a push to ensure they do not lose community support before their industry has a chance to go fully commercial.
“If we cannot do a good job of recycling that water and reducing our water footprint, we're going to get crushed,” John Burba, executive chairman of International Battery Metals, told the Reuters Events Industry Transition conference in Pittsburgh this week. “DLE is a very water-intensive process.”
Mr Burba told the conference that IBAT – which has held talks to license its DLE technology with Exxon Mobil, Chevron and others – recovers 98.5 per cent of the freshwater used during its lithium production process, and is aiming to boost that further.
Privately held EnergyX, which counts General Motors as an investor, said it can recover as much as 90 per cent of its freshwater, a number its scientists are working to increase.
“Getting it down to maybe five or 10 or 15 [metric] tonnes of freshwater per tonne of lithium is kind of where you want to be,” said EnergyX chief executive Teague Egan.
Controlled Thermal Resources, which is developing a geothermal lithium project in California's Salton Sea to supply GM and Stellantis, recycles a gallon (3.7 litres) of water at least eight times and will produce water via steam from its geothermal power process, said chief executive Rod Colwell.
“How many times we can recycle? That's really the big question,” said Mr Colwell.
E3 Lithium, which is backed by Exxon's Imperial Oil, began testing three DLE technologies last month in Alberta, Canada, and aims to install water recycling facilities as it goes commercial, said chief executive Chris Doornbos.
“You end up having a small water treatment facility with your processing facility so they can reuse that water over and over and over again,” said Mr Doornbos.
Each of the developers said they expect at least one DLE technology to commercially launch by early 2025, a step that is expected to boost the entire industry.
“DLE is a tool that is growing and improving to allow us to unlock brines that might have been uneconomic in the past,” said Emily Hersh, chief executive of privately held mining explorer Luna Lithium.
Whereas DLE once had many questioning if it even could replace traditional lithium mining, those worries have now faded, executives said.
“The question of 'if DLE works' is gone now. It's an engineering challenge. It's not a technological challenge,” said E3's Mr Doornbos.
The push to curb water use, executives said, should in time help assuage some concerns from the EV industry about mining's environmental impact amid the rising demand for lithium, executives added.
“Every single [card maker] realises that lithium is the limiting factor in them producing electric vehicles,” said EnergyX's Mr Egan.
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
Kibsons%20Cares
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERecycling%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fstrong%3EAny%20time%20you%20receive%20a%20Kibsons%20order%2C%20you%20can%20return%20your%20cardboard%20box%20to%20the%20drivers.%20They%E2%80%99ll%20be%20happy%20to%20take%20it%20off%20your%20hands%20and%20ensure%20it%20gets%20reused%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EKind%20to%20health%20and%20planet%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESolar%20%E2%80%93%2025-50%25%20of%20electricity%20saved%3Cbr%3EWater%20%E2%80%93%2075%25%20of%20water%20reused%3Cbr%3EBiofuel%20%E2%80%93%20Kibsons%20fleet%20to%20get%2020%25%20more%20mileage%20per%20litre%20with%20biofuel%20additives%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESustainable%20grocery%20shopping%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENo%20antibiotics%3Cbr%3ENo%20added%20hormones%3Cbr%3ENo%20GMO%3Cbr%3ENo%20preservatives%3Cbr%3EMSG%20free%3Cbr%3E100%25%20natural%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,000mm, Winners: Mumayaza, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m, Winners: Sharkh, Pat Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
6pm: The President’s Cup Prep - Conditions (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m, Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Harrab, Ryan Curatolo, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Abu Dhabi Equestrian Gold Cup - Prestige (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Al Ruwais – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
8pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner: Nibras Passion, Bernardo Pinheiro, Ismail Mohammed
