Direct Lithium Extraction Pilot Plant (DLE)

The DLE pilot plant is located in Olacapato, up in the highlands of the province of Salta, and it began operations in February 2022. The operation marked a major milestone in the industry as the first plant of its kind to specialize in Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) in Latin America.
With a production capacity of 25 tons of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) on average per year, and a processing capacity of 1,200 liters of brine per hour, the facility plays a pivotal role in Tecpetrol’s strategic initiative to pave the way for technological risk mitigation as the industry readies itself to scale up development in the sector.
The operation is focused on the systematic testing of various brines within the region, aiming to delineate crucial indicators such as the percentage of lithium recovery, impurity rejection rates, and metrics related to water and energy consumption. These parameters are key inputs for the strategic planning required to define the dimensions of the processes for future industrial lithium production projects.

Watch video