Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD), a subsidiary of AD Ports Group’s Industrial Cities & Free Zone (IC&FZ) cluster has announced the signing of an agreement with Lepidico Ltd, a global lithium exploration and development company, for establishing the first lithium production facility in the Middle East, utilising a first of its kind designed process.
Covering a land area of 57,000sqm, the first phase of Lepidico’s development for the AED 348M (USD 95M) chemical plant will house clean-tech L-Max® and LOH-Max® process technologies. The process extracts lithium and recovers valuable by-products from lithium-mica and phosphate minerals. As an eco-friendly, zero-waste facility, the residue predominantly gypsum, will be repurposed for use in the construction industry.
The vertically integrated Phase 1 Project (P1P) comprises two small-scale open-pit mines that will feed a mineral concentrator in Namibia, following which the lepidolite concentrate will be shipped to the facility being developed in KIZAD via Khalifa Port.
An innovative developer of sustainable lithium hydroxide and chemicals for the 21st century, Lepidico plans to invest approximately USD 95M for the chemical conversion plant in Abu Dhabi for an initial term of 25 years, which will employ the company’s proprietary process technologies, L-Max® and LOH-Max®. The project is a significant step forward in developing a sustainable lithium hydroxide industry and supports the global clean energy revolution.