“That, together with the considerable financial commitments required to maintain projects in the area, led the company to substantially reduce its activities,” the media brief reads.
Lithium Australia says it wants to focus on opportunities related to its patented process of recovery of lithium from low-grade spodumene without roasting (LieNA)
In detail, Lithium Australia did not renew the Sadisdorf licence after it ran full term, relinquished the 133-square kilometre Eichight exploration license and is yet to make a decision on the future of the Hegelshöhe license.
“Rationalising the company’s exposure to direct exploration expenditure in Europe is in line with our corporate policy, which has seen a marked reduction in our global exploration footprint and the farm-out of many assets,” Lithium Australia’s managing director, Adrian Griffin, said in the statement. “Our preference is to maintain leverage to battery materials in Europe by applying our proprietary technologies, including lithium extraction, cathode powder production and battery recycling, to emerging opportunities.”
According to Griffin, his team sees the patented process of recovery of lithium from low-grade spodumene without roasting (LieNA) as having great potential it can produce feed for the production of lithium-ferro-phosphate batteries.
“Europe is just awakening to the benefits of LFP and, through company subsidiary VSPC Ltd, we have the technology to revolutionise its production,” the executive said.
