Rosatom develops lithium extraction technology in Uzbekistan
Rosatom scientists have developed a zero-waste technology for extracting lithium from mica ores at the Nurlikon deposit in Uzbekistan.
The new technology enables the production of high-purity lithium carbonate while also using industrial waste in the processing cycle, TASS reported, citing the corporation’s press service.
The technology was developed by specialists at JSC Giredmet, part of Rosatom’s scientific division, taking into account the characteristics of the deposit’s ores, which contain approximately 0.5 percent lithium oxide.
According to Valery Golovko, Head of the Technical Department at JSC Giredmet, the planned processing capacity is 750,000 tons of ore per year, enabling the production of more than 8,500 tons of high-purity lithium carbonate of the CP (chemically pure) grade. The technology eliminates liquid and solid waste.
The project’s implementation could mark an important step in developing the processing of lithium-bearing raw materials in Uzbekistan, expanding the resource base for battery material production and introducing circular economy principles, under which industrial waste is reused.
Aziza Alimova, UzA
