SWA Lithium and Koch Sign License Agreement for Lithium Extraction Technology
SWA Lithium, the joint venture between Standard Lithium and Equinor, has entered a license agreement with Koch Technology Solutions (KTS) for the use of its Li-Pro™ Lithium Selective Sorption (Li-Pro LSS) technology at the South West Arkansas (SWA) Project. This technology will be deployed at the commercial plant for the first phase of the SWA Project.
The agreement allows SWA Lithium to utilize KTS' Li-Pro LSS technology throughout the project lifecycle, with an option for future phases. The agreement includes performance guarantees for lithium recovery rates above 95% and high levels of impurity rejection, as well as technical support from KTS during integration and commissioning.
Standard Lithium's President and COO, Dr. Andy Robinson, highlighted the significance of this milestone, saying, "The Li-Pro LSS technology is now sufficiently tested and derisked, enabling us to commit to its use at a commercial scale." Koch's Business Leader, Garrett Krall, also emphasized the importance of the agreement in developing a commercially viable, environmentally responsible solution to meet future lithium demand.
The SWA Project continues to see progress with successful operation of the commercial-scale Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) column at Standard Lithium's demonstration plant in El Dorado, Arkansas. The plant has achieved a lithium recovery efficiency of 95.4% and rejected key impurities effectively, demonstrating the technology's capability at a larger scale.