DLE is a generic term.
And not all underlying resources, technologies and processes are created equal.
Grouping everything under one umbrella is not recognizing this sufficiently.
The reasoning seems to be that the concept of DLE is proven, therefore every resource and every DLE project is going to work commercially.
That is just wrong.
Just like not every evaporative brine project has been successfull. Many failures, many not commercial.
Devil is in the details.
You dont have to be an expert in the underlying tech, just apply logic, facts and sound deductive reasoning.
More than one poster here was using intelligence and experience/skill interchangibly.... that is not very smart.
Fact is, 8 years on and Rincon Ltd is not a commercial lithium producer and selling at a time when lithium prices are going bonkers.
That does not seem to add up, if they were sitting on a goldmine and a highly successful novel process.
Would be fascinating to see how much money they have dumped into this... I will be suprised if they are selling at a profit.
Rio is most likely just buying the resource and will mine the lithium in whatever way works best for the resource.
https://www.riotinto.com/news/releases/2021/Rio-Tinto-to-acquire-Rincon-Mining-lithium-projectSounds like a lot of outstanding work and rework and re-assesments.
Rio also bought Alcan for $38bn and eventually wrote off the bulk of that investment !
https://www.mining.com/the-worst-mining-deal-ever-rio-tinto-buying-alcan-for-38-1b-37600/To say the big boys and investors don't make mistakes is a fallacy in thinking, clearly.
Meanwhile their tiny evaporation pond neighbours will be producing BG lithium commercially by the middle of year with a proven process and a product that have gone through product qualification with end users. As posted before.
"They are head up by Pablo Alurralde.
Pablo in turn was the Enginering and Technology manager at FMC at the Fenix project from 1997-2012.
Also invented new patents credited to FMC during his tenure obviously improving the DLE process first brought online in 1998."Better question is why did Pablo NOT go for the same "DLE" process he used and improved at Livent for his own project on this particular salar. ( Rincon ).
Speaking of skill and experience - here is an expert in the field for you in
commercial lithium processing choosing not to use "DLE".
Also "DLE" on a water poor salar where brine still needs to be heated for the chemical processes is not the same as what Vulcan is doing.
Different set of variables.
Luckily there is more than enough space for all who can produce quality lithium at scale from whatever resource they have in a commercially viable and low environmental impact way.
It is not either or.
May they all be successful.
(20min delay)