Potential water recovery during lithium mining from high salinity brines

Baspineiro, Celso Fernando; Franco, Judith; Flexer, Victoria

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137523

Cited by 42 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Finally, it is also noticeable that water separation from brine is present in some technologies under conceptual development for extracting the water to be used in domestic or agricultural applications (Baspineiro et al, 2020;Flexer et al, 2018). However, these technologies are not currently economical, since mechanical separation is an expensive procedure.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Lithium Mining on the Water Stress of the Salar De Atacama Basin

Guzmán¹,

Faúndez²,

Jara³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Brines located in the Salar de Atacama are a significant source of lithium worldwide. The extractive method for these minerals is through brine pumping, with subsequent solar evaporation in ponds. In this latter process, part of the water present in brine is evaporated to the atmosphere, leading to the possibility of harvesting lithium and potassium salts. This situation has risen a series of environmental concerns among local stakeholders and international environmental groups; specifically, in terms of water depletion caused by mining activities. However, no comprehensive studies have been carried out to quantify the impact on the water availability of this basin as a consequence of lithium mining. The aim of this study is to contribute to fill in this gap by quantifying the impact of brine and water evaporation over the precipitations in the area, and thus on the water stress at the Salar de Atacama basin. Through the implementation of a novel methodology based on a VAR model, the potential recharge on the basin is estimated, considering the precipitations associated with water evaporation in the process of lithium extraction. With this information, the Water Stress Index (WSI) over the period 2002-2017 is computed. The results show that

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Lithium Mining on the Water Stress of the Salar De Atacama Basin

Guzmán¹,

Faúndez²,

Jara³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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“…The purification process also requires fresh water that needs to be pumped from different underground aquifers and purified. Electricity and diesel are also required to pump the brine from the underground reservoirs, as well as to move fluids in between different processes. ,, …”

Section: Materials and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, we are referring here to a hydrometallurgical process, where only aqueous streams need to be heated at temperatures below boiling point (∼100 °C), that is, not hard rock ores that need to be processed at temperatures of several hundred degrees centigrade . Therefore, lithium deposits, both those currently under active exploitation and particularly those under development, are perfect locations for solar energy harnessing. , In this context, the possibility of providing the lithium mining industry with at least some energy autonomy from the electric/gas grid and/or the permanent transportation of fossil fuels is a strong driving force for the large-scale implementation of renewable energy installations, in addition, of course, to environmental sustainability. No CSP plants are currently in operation, nor under development in Argentina.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

CO₂ Emission Reduction by Integrating Concentrating Solar Power into Lithium Mining

Dellicompagni¹,

Franco²,

Flexer³

2021

Energy Fuels

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An assessment of the energy requirements in the lithium brine mining and processing industry indicated that all active facilities currently satisfy their energy needs from fossil fuels. A more detailed analysis of two case studies allowed us to identify specific thermal and electrical energy requirements. Annual horizontal global solar irradiation values higher than 2000 kWh/m2 are registered at most lithium brine deposits. These values make concentrating solar power (CSP) an interesting technology to supply mining activities with alternatively thermal or electrical energy, both from technological and economical perspectives. The temperature and heat consumption of the processes were considered as reference parameters to determine the thermal capacity of solar power plants. These plants were designed using the system advisor model. Furthermore, CO2 mitigation was analyzed. A parabolic trough plant for power electric generation with a thermal storage system was found to be a more suitable option to substantially diversify the energy matrix and reduce greenhouse emissions of the lithium mining industry, if compared with using CSP for thermal processes in the absence of energy storage. Simulation results showed similarities in the emission reduction potential when parabolic trough and linear Fresnel technologies without thermal storage were compared: 154.3 and 161.6 gCO2/kgLCE, respectively. On an annual basis, these technologies cover over 20% of the thermal energy matrix. An electric plant designed based on a parabolic trough system coupled to thermal energy storage can achieve a matrix penetration of over 51% and an annual CO2 mitigation of 403.3 gCO2/kgLCE.

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“…68 It is extracted from either lithium-laden ore or lithium-rich surface or subsurface brines, with the latter being the more common and cost-effective option. 68,69 Currently, the vast majority of lithium produced globally is extracted from brines in South America, but the oldest operating lithium brine extraction facility went online in 1966 in Clayton Valley, Nevada, and remains the only full-scale lithium extraction plant in the U.S. 69 3.3.1. Facility Overview.…”

Section: Case Study Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mine Water Use, Treatment, and Reuse in the United States: A Look at Current Industry Practices and Select Case Studies

et al. 2021

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Mining provides significant economic value while often impacting local water supplies and environments because of freshwater usage and waste disposal practices. This study identifies current practices in mine water, including how water is used in mining, influent and effluent water quality, treatment technologies, and end uses with the goal of informing future research on implementable, reliable, and cost-effective advanced water treatment in the mining sector. This study also reviews the available literature to broadly evaluate mining in the United States and performs a techno-economic assessment on water use and disposal for three detailed case studies applicable to lithium, uranium, and copper mines. These case studies highlight specific industry examples of distinct extraction methods, geographical regions, and mined commodities. Hypothetical scenarios based on case study baselines revealed potential impacts to mine water available for beneficial reuse through the use of novel water treatment technologies and alternate water management strategies. Finally, an assessment of national level impacts resulting from the reuse of treated mine source water is presented.

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Potential water recovery during lithium mining from high salinity brines

Cited by 42 publications

References 43 publications

Role of Lithium Mining on the Water Stress of the Salar De Atacama Basin

Role of Lithium Mining on the Water Stress of the Salar De Atacama Basin

CO₂ Emission Reduction by Integrating Concentrating Solar Power into Lithium Mining

Mine Water Use, Treatment, and Reuse in the United States: A Look at Current Industry Practices and Select Case Studies

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Potential water recovery during lithium mining from high salinity brines

Cited by 42 publications

References 43 publications

Role of Lithium Mining on the Water Stress of the Salar De Atacama Basin

Role of Lithium Mining on the Water Stress of the Salar De Atacama Basin

CO2 Emission Reduction by Integrating Concentrating Solar Power into Lithium Mining

Mine Water Use, Treatment, and Reuse in the United States: A Look at Current Industry Practices and Select Case Studies

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Product

Resources

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CO₂ Emission Reduction by Integrating Concentrating Solar Power into Lithium Mining