Veolia provides know-how for South Korea’s first lithium hydroxide plant

Veolia, via its subsidiary Veolia Water Technologies, has signed a contract with POSCO Lithium Solution to design and deliver an integrated conversion system featuring its high purification HPD crystallization technology. With an annual production capacity of 25,000 tonnes, the facility will supply enough quality lithium to design around 600,000 electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

This advanced technology will reduce water consumption in the industrial process, leading to sustainable management of water resources. The design of this chemical process maximizes the reuse of the condensate generated, with a rate of recovery more than 94%, which minimizes the quantity of water sent to the wastewater treatment plant.

"From the technological treatment of lithium to the recovery of battery materials during the recycling process, Veolia will now share its unique industrial and technological know-how with POSCO Lithium Solution to optimize the amount of lithium hydroxide recovered while minimizing the amount of water used in battery production." said Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia.

To demonstrate the feasibility of the process design, Veolia successfully conducted laboratory testing and simulated key unit operations at its Phillip J. Stewart Technology Center in Plainfield, Illinois. This 4,656-m²  center, one of Veolia’s many research facilities around the world, is home to the industry’s widest array of testing equipment and plays a crucial role in assuring producers that their system will deliver the expected results before building a commercial plant. Testing conducted at this R&D facility is used to validate processes and optimize designs to remove contaminants from unique feed sources, ensuring the highest product recovery and purity.

Learn more on www.Veolia.com.