Technoeconomic Evaluation of Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate Production

Technoeconomic Evaluation of Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate Production

The client is a startup company that is developing novel approaches for electrolysis-based conversion of spodumene into battery grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate.  The client’s design is under patent and currently, pilot development is in progress with a  novel design intended to provide a capital and operating cost advantages over other lithium-extraction and refining processes currently deployed globally.   The client contracted Process Engineering International, LLC (PROCESS) to conduct a technoeconomic analysis of their novel approach to lithium hydroxide monohydrate manufacturing.

An independent, unbiased technoeconomic evaluation was conducted for five lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH·H₂O) production technologies. The study compared the client’s proprietary electrolysis-based process against traditional and emerging alternatives for a proposed 20,000 TPA facility. The evaluation aimed to guide internal decision-making and potentially inform future investor discussions.

PROCESS provided the following services to the client:

Technical descriptions and evaluations of five processes:

  • Proprietary Electrolysis Process

  • Traditional Electrolysis (3-compartment PEM)

  • Chemical Phase Separation (CPS)

  • METSO Process (pressure leaching)

  • Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis (BPMED)

  • Preliminary process flow diagrams and heat/material balances for each process

  • CAPEX and OPEX estimates (±50% and ±50% accuracy targets respectively) for each process

  • Levelized cost of production analysis

  • Sensitivity analysis for key economic drivers

  • Identification of opportunities and vulnerabilities for the proprietary technology

The study concludes that based on the data provided by the client, assumptions made, and the high level analysis, the client’s proprietary electrolysis process demonstrates clear technoeconomic advantages over traditional and alternative methods. Its innovative design, lower capital and operating costs, and integrated recovery systems position it as a strong candidate for commercial deployment at scale.