Zelandez, the lithium brinefield technology provider, has published an industry-first white paper alongside over a dozen lithium heavyweights, addressing best practices for recycling and reinjecting spent brine.

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Illustration of changing brine characteristics (Graphic: Business Wire)

With Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology poised to transform brine mining, the white paper—available through this link—comes at a pivotal moment for the industry. It contains what is understood to be the first guidelines for spent brine reinjection, which will soon be a must for operators using DLE.

The International Lithium Association and Fastmarkets support the white paper, which has had input from respected industry players such as Albemarle, Arcadium, SQM, Eramet, Hatch, CTR, Power Minerals, Wood, WSP, and Upflow.

Titled ‘Recycling Brine for a Greener Future,’ the 80-page document contains best practices for reinjecting—or ‘recycling,’ as it recommends—lithium-depleted brine while stressing the importance of improving the efficiency of lithium production and minimizing environmental and social impacts. The white paper was written by a Zelandez-led team of respected reservoir and chemical engineers, geologists, and hydrogeologists.

From executives, directors, technical teams, regulators, and investors, the white paper is directed at all lithium brine stakeholders working towards a more sustainable, responsible industry moving forward.

Gene Morgan, Zelandez’s chief executive, describes the white paper as the lithium industry’s first concrete step towards implementing a reinjection framework to benefit all stakeholders.

“Reinjection has been relatively overlooked due to its considerable technical challenges,” Morgan says.

“Having DLE technology that can work commercially changes everything, and quickly. As an industry, we must work together to share best practices and methods. We must ensure this evolution in the lithium brine mining process occurs in the safest, cleanest, and most efficient way possible.”

Current legislation around spent brine reinjection is limited or lacking across North and South America.

About Zelandez

Zelandez is the world’s leading services provider to the lithium brine industry. The company provides a comprehensive suite of advanced exploration and production tools and sensors and complete wrap-around integrated services for lithium mining companies designed to accelerate the path to first production. Zelandez’s clients include most of the world’s lithium brine companies in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Canada, and the United States of America.

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