Dutch chemicals producer Nobian has launched the LiSA consortium to develop a pilot-scale process for producing battery-grade lithium chemicals from European feedstocks, including geothermal brines and recycled batteries. The three-year programme brings together Nobian, Back to Battery, the University of Twente, Demcon Suster and the Institute for Sustainable Process Technology. The partners will invest approximately €3.6 million in the Netherlands-based pilot project, with the Dutch government providing €2 million through the TKI Energy programme.
Pilot targets European lithium chemical production
The LiSA programme will focus on producing battery-grade lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate from locally available lithium sources. The project will evaluate feedstocks including geothermal brines and lithium-containing materials recovered from end-of-life batteries.
Nobian’s patented technology combines electrochemistry with salt-based crystallisation to convert lithium chloride into finished lithium chemicals suitable for battery applications. The initiative is aimed at developing a circular refining pathway for lithium materials within Europe.
Process integrates with existing chemical infrastructure
A key element of the LiSA process is the planned reuse of sodium chloride generated during lithium conversion. The salt is intended to return to Nobian’s existing chlor-alkali electrolysers, where it can be used to regenerate caustic soda for reuse in the lithium-refining process. The consortium estimates that the technology could reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions by approximately 50% compared with conventional lithium-refining routes.
Consortium partners define technical roles
Within the pilot programme, Demcon Suster will be responsible for designing and constructing the pilot facility. The University of Twente will provide process modelling and optimisation expertise.
Back to Battery will supply lithium-containing recycled feedstocks for testing. The combined programme is intended to generate technical data needed to assess the feasibility of scaling the process beyond pilot capacity.
Pilot addresses European lithium processing gap
The investment represents a small-scale development compared with a commercial lithium conversion facility, but the project targets a limited segment of Europe’s battery materials supply chain. European industrial policy has placed significant attention on mineral extraction projects and battery manufacturing capacity, while domestic capability for converting different lithium feedstocks into specification-grade chemicals remains limited. The LiSA programme is focused on developing additional lithium processing capacity that can handle a range of European feedstock sources.
Scale-up depends on technical validation
The next stage of value creation will depend on whether the pilot can produce reliable operational data. Key performance indicators will include mass balances, lithium product purity results, reagent consumption levels and scale-up economics. The results will determine whether the technology can attract larger industrial grants, strategic investment or project-financing support for commercial deployment.
Integration with existing chlor-alkali infrastructure could reduce capital requirements for future commercial facilities by using established chemical assets, utilities and reagent recycling systems. Successful validation could also provide a processing option for smaller geothermal lithium resources and recycling streams that may not support conventional standalone refining operations.
