Lithium

Lithium

Why do we need Lithium?

Lithium is used to help power modern devices including mobile phones, computers, cameras and power tools. It’s also used for the battery storage of renewable energy generated from wind and solar power. Lithium is also a key component of advanced batteries used in the manufacturing of electric vehicles (EVs).

Demand for lithium is projected to reach 1.5 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) by 2025 and over 3 million tonnes by 2030. As the world moves away from fossil fuels, the world needs a stable, supply of quality lithium to achieve a low-carbon future. At Critical Resources, this is our mission.

Lithium at Mavis Lake

The Mavis Lake Project Area has geological setting that is highly prospective for lithium. This includes numerous spodumene-bearing pegmatites. With a maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) defined in May 2023, Critical Resources has made the first step in developing a future mining operation. Located in a first class, well-regulated jurisdiction, Mavis Lake’s proximity to road and rail infrastructure, hydro-power and an experienced workforce and logistics hub all support our long-term objective – to become a sustainable, trusted producer of high quality lithium products.

What is Spodumene?

The lithium mineralisation found at Mavis Lake is in the form of spodumene (pronounced ‘spod-you-mean’). Spodumene is a mineral that contains lithium. It’s a proven source material for lithium chemicals and subsequent battery production.

How will Mavis Lake lithium be mined and processed?

The two common methods for mining lithium are brine extraction (predominantly in South America and very water intensive) and hard rock mining of spodumene, with subsequent lithium chemical conversion.

Mavis Lake’s mineralisation is in hard-rock/spodumene, which will be extracted via conventional mining techniques. Blocks of mineralized pegmatite are then crushed, and sent to dense media separation and flotation tanks, where ore minerals are separated. Water and gravity is the primary means to separate the spodumene, to form a “spodumene concentrate”, this is the product that Critical Resources intends to produce.

Spodumene concentrate is then sent to specialty chemical plants for conversion to lithium chemicals.