Australia’s Lepidico Ltd. and Khalifa Industrial Zone, Abu Dhabi announced their collaboration, setting up its first lithium production facility in the Middle East, a hub of the electric vehicle market.
This project will enable the supply of electric vehicle chains in the Middle east.
The project will cover 57,000 sq m, land area for phase one of Lepidico’s development of chemical plant for the AED348 million ($95 million) hosting clean-tech L-Max and LOH-Max process technologies.
The process aims to extract lithium and other by-products from lithium-mica and phosphate minerals. The leftover residue, predominantly gypsum, is repurposed for use in the construction industry.
Abdullah Al Hameli, Head of Industrial Cities & Free Zone Cluster, AD Ports Group, said they are pleased to collaborate with innovative and environmentally conscious companies like Lepidico, which aims to establish its first lithium production facility in the Middle East. The project is critical, as it will enable the electric vehicle supply chain in the Middle East.
Joe Walsh, the Managing director at Lepidico, added the agreement and collaboration represents an important milestone for the first phase of chemical plant enabling geo technical and infrastructure, EPCM work for commerce.
The project is divided into two small scale open pit mines effectively feeding a mineral concentrator in Namibia, later where lepidolite concentrate will be shipped to KIZAD via Khalifa port.
