Aramco, Lihytech team up to recover lithium from oilfield brine

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Saudi oil giant Aramco and Saudi Lithium Infinity (Lihytech), an innovative startup incubated by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), are working together to accelerate the development of Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology in Saudi Arabia.

The collaboration aims to support the Kingdom’s growing demand for lithium, essential for advancing the country’s electric vehicle (EV) initiatives as outlined in Vision 2030.

Aramco said it has supplied brine from its oilfields to assess Lihytech’s lithium extraction technology, located at KAUST Research and Technology Park. The technology is intended to advance to a field scale after completing the assessment phase.

The collaboration is expected to contribute to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 by advancing sustainable resource extraction technologies and fostering the growth of a new, critical mineral industry in the region, it stated.

"The mission of Lihytech is to empower Saudi Arabia with cutting-edge DLE technology, enabling the Kingdom to fully leverage its lithium resources," remarked Lihytech chief strategy and commercial officer Ehab Abbas.

"With Aramco being one of the largest oil producers globally, the oilfield brines are a promising source to contribute to the Kingdom’s lithium demands. Our pilot plant has yielded highly encouraging results, and with the expertise of Aramco’s team, we are confident in our ability to validate this technology under real-world conditions, optimizing it for various brine sources within the Kingdom," he added.-TradeArabia News Service