A new lithium technology center demonstrates sustainable business practices

Alexi Zawazki, far left, president of Lithium America’s North American operations, for F. Members of the McDermitt Paiute Shoshone tribe, from right, Kyle Crutcher, Kawhi Crutcher, Ario Crutcher and Rick Crutcher tour the Technical Center.

“It’s really important that people understand what we’re doing with our waste products,” Zawazki said.

The waste from the mine – such as Epsom salt, magnesium and neutral clay – can be touched with bare hands, and there were many guests at the opening. When the machines work with materials inside, technicians and customers only need to wear plastic safety glasses. The lithium-bearing clay, made of sand-sandy clay, is tightly filled in flat and square bricks, at the end of the process, a lot of water is removed, which is used to scrub the minerals that are not wanted at the beginning from the lithium-bearing materials. Bricks are easily stored and can then be placed into mounds and used for backfilling during rebuilding. Lithium Americas is still researching how to recycle Epsom salts, officials said.

The Tucker Pass facility will house its own sulfuric acid plant, which Zawazki says is necessary for distillation and neutralization, an important step to ensure the lithium produced is pure. The plant converts sulfur into sulfuric acid, which is safer for hauling and storage, eliminating hazards during transportation and handling.

“Building an on-site sulfuric acid plant will reduce the number of trucks on the road because each ton of sulfur can produce three tons of sulfuric acid, making sulfur very safe to transport. Sulfuric acid production also produces steam, which we use to generate carbon-free energy for the processing plant,” said Lithium. Americas reported.

Julia Maestrejuan / Nevada News Group
University of Nevada President Brian Sandoval, front left, Jonathan Evans, CEO of Lithium Nevada, Governor Steve Sisolak, Litstar Abel, Ft. McDermit Paiute Shoshone Tribe, Maria Anderson, Community Relations Manager for Lithium Nevada and others from Ft. The McDermitt Paiute Shoshone Tribe cut the ribbon July 20 to mark the opening of its new Lithium Technology Center in Reno.

The materials go through other cleaning, filtering and refining processes that are reused more than seven times in the process, creating sustainable energy in steam and water. Finally, the white-powder lithium substance is tested for purity at parts per million by expert procedures in a state-of-the-art laboratory.

Zawazki said the purification processes to reuse water and create environmentally neutral wastes are expensive, but necessary for Lithium Americas’ work to reduce its environmental footprint, which goes beyond regulatory requirements.

“We’re still getting better,” Zawazki said.

“With the technological expertise of Lithium Americas and the research capabilities of the University of Nevada, Reno, the launch of the Lithium Technical Development Center today is a demonstration of the productive public-private partnership we are developing to strengthen and enhance economic growth in the country. Responsible use of resources,” said Sisolak. “This is Nevada in the United States.” It’s a fantastic achievement for everyone involved, making it a center of clean energy leadership.”

“Lithium Americas’ commitment to not only building a strong U.S. battery industry, but training the next pioneers in this space will pay dividends for Nevada, ensuring we can achieve our ambitious goals,” said Sandoval.