Two value chains,
one integrated portfolio
LiCuPlus overcomes the limits of today’s fragmented, resource-intensive practices by expanding process integration across the entire value chain — linking ore and brine characteristics to process performance, optimising stream management, boosting recovery and drastically reducing emissions.
From deposit to cathode,
without the waste
A portfolio approach combining integrated process routes with modular add-ons. The flexibility addresses different concentrate types and EU–Chile contexts, reduces industrialisation risk and enables staged market entry.
-
Geometallurgy
Geological, mineralogical, chemical and metallurgical characterisation with geostatistical estimation, linking the 3D deposit model directly to potential products.
-
Beneficiation
Multi-stage selective flotation separating enargite from chalcopyrite, producing an As–Sb-rich and an As–Sb-lean fraction for dedicated treatment.
-
Roasting & As capture
Partial sulphur elimination roasting, with direct gas-phase capture of As, Sb and Bi from the off-gas as sulphides or as FeAsO4.
-
Slag reduction
Green H2 and NH3 reduction of final and converter slags in Top Submerged Lance and electric furnaces, recovering a Cu–Fe(–Mo) alloy.
-
Novel pyro route
Single-step fluidised-bed oxidation of all sulphur, followed by gas–solid or molten-phase hydrogen reduction — no fugitive SO2, no CO2.
-
Bio- & hydrometallurgy
Adapted microbial consortia at near-ambient conditions as an alternative to pressure leaching, with concurrent arsenic precipitation.
-
Refining
Purification, solvent extraction and electrowinning to 4–5N cathodes, with valuable anode slimes recovered alongside.
-
Co-product valorisation
Magnetite, silica concentrate, Fe and FeMo phases, iron phosphate, and calcium-aluminate-silicate feedstock for the cement industry.
Green H2/NH3 reduction module
An add-on that upgrades existing smelter–converter plants without full replacement. It cuts converter slag recirculation by 50%, raises copper recovery above 90% and adds more than 15% recovery of nickel, tin and lead — freeing furnace capacity for more primary concentrate. Ammonia is highlighted for its easier, cheaper transport than hydrogen.
Zero-waste pyrometallurgical route
A patent-filed process developed at Universidad de Concepción: single-step oxidation of all sulphur eliminates fugitive SO2, hydrogen as reductant eliminates CO2, and up to 99% of copper plus 95% of molybdenum, iron and silica are recovered in usable fractions. LiCuPlus scales it to pilot level in a fluidised bed reactor and Top Submerged Lance smelters.
Low-carbon bioleaching route
Specific, adapted microbial consortia in bioreactor systems recover copper efficiently at ambient temperature with minimal acid and energy. Unlike pressure leaching it avoids extreme conditions, while minimising arsenic release by enabling concurrent precipitation as stable scorodite.
As/Sb recovery package
Combining partial sulphur elimination roasting, direct gas-phase capture and selective alkaline sulphide leaching to achieve ≥95% arsenic removal and >85% antimony and arsenic recovery — yielding high-purity Sb2O3 and As2O3 instead of hazardous residue.
Geometallurgy & the Northern Chile As-hub
Geometallurgy today stops at concentration and leaching, leaving beneficiation, pyrometallurgy and refining disconnected. LiCuPlus integrates ore geochemistry, spatial estimation and metallurgical results into a single mine-to-product view, with digital-twin flowsheets modelling mass and heat balances across the Chuquicamata, Ministro Hales and Calama facilities.
Circular co-products
Chilean primary streams — slags, tailings, dusts and sludges — are mapped and characterised, then treated by bio- and hydrometallurgical techniques. Secondary slags and leaching materials are evaluated for high-value industrial use, including cementitious applications.
A brine-flexible platform,
not a brine-specific one
Salt flats hold around 75% of global lithium resources — 40% of them in Chile and Argentina — yet only about 5% are exploited. Today’s Direct Lithium Extraction remains brine-specific, which limits replication. LiCuPlus unites multiple technologies on a single platform designed to move between salars.
-
Brine characterisation
Monthly representative sampling and full analysis of low-quality Chilean brines with low lithium content and high Mg/Ca ratios.
-
DLE adsorption
Aluminium oxide sorbent-based extraction for Maricunga brines, targeting ≥90% lithium recovery with more than 70% less water than evaporation ponds.
-
Ion exchange & SX
Ion exchange coupled with solvent extraction on both fresh and post-adsorption brine, driving calcium and magnesium below 400 mg/L.
-
Membrane pre-treatment
Nanofiltration removes silicates and organics; reverse osmosis recovers water, preparing the brine for battery-grade LiOH production.
-
Concentration
Membrane distillation and a forced evaporation stage bring the brine to 20–30 g/L lithium while producing purified water for reuse.
-
Electrodialysis
Salt-splitting on green electricity converts LiCl directly to LiOH at ≥95% efficiency and ≥99% purity, bypassing conventional carbonate routes.
-
Carbonation
The alternative branch: carbonation of purified brine to battery-grade Li2CO3 at >99.5% purity for LFP cathodes.
-
Metallothermic reduction
Aluminothermic reduction of LiOH or Li2CO3 to lithium metal, with calcium aluminate slag treated to close the material loop.
Tailored Al2O3-based adsorbents
Custom-synthesised aluminium-based sorbents evaluated against commercial materials, with adsorption capacity and regeneration characterised over 100 cycles for low-quality brines.
Electrodialysis salt-splitting
Adapted from salt-splitting experience in the XTRACT project, integrated into a DLE setup preceded by adsorption and ion exchange so that Ca/Mg scaling — the classic limit on electrodialysis performance — is removed upstream. Designed to run on renewable energy.
Membrane distillation for water recovery
Applied to pretreated DLE brines, where low divalent ion concentrations minimise the scaling and fouling that normally restrict membrane distillation. Low energy demand, able to use solar thermal collectors as heat source, producing distilled water for reuse.
State of the art
versus LiCuPlus
Where today’s practice stops, and what the project adds.
| State of the art | LiCuPlus innovation |
|---|---|
| Geometallurgy & beneficiation | |
| Geometallurgy links ore characteristics to metallurgical behaviour, but current use focuses on concentration and leaching. Beneficiation, pyrometallurgy and refining stay disconnected; a full mine-to-product view is missing. | Integrates ore geochemistry, spatial estimation and metallurgical results for product projection — linking copper resources through beneficiation and arsenic management to existing and novel pyrometallurgical and refining routes. |
| Slag treatment | |
| Slag is used as abrasive or construction material, or treated by flotation, carbothermic reduction and leaching. Hydrometallurgical approaches suffer silica-gel formation; solvometallurgical approaches remain lab-scale. Literature on hydrogen reduction of slags is at an early stage. | Studies H2 and NH3 reduction of final and converter slags at pilot scale in two Top Submerged Lance furnaces and an electric furnace. Converter-slag treatment targets minor elements while avoiding impurity build-up during recirculation, on a CO2-free or neutral basis. |
| Primary copper smelting | |
| Final slags are sometimes products, but copper, PGMs and molybdenum are lost and some slags are disposed of. Traditional batch converting generates fugitive SO2 emissions as molten phases are transferred. | Demonstrates a new route at TRL 6–7: fluidised-bed concentrate oxidation followed by gas–solid reduction with H2 or NH3, or molten-phase H2 reduction in a TSL smelter — recovering blister copper, valuable anode slimes, molybdenum, and iron and silica as magnetite, silica concentrate or cement-grade slag. |
| Hydrometallurgy | |
| Bioleaching recovers metals from low-grade ores at safer temperatures and pressures with lower CO2 and smaller CAPEX, but challenges remain with refractory ores such as chalcopyrite and with arsenic-containing minerals. | Uses specific, adapted microbial consortia and optimised conditions in bioreactor systems to enhance arsenic removal while ensuring efficient copper recovery at ambient temperature, minimising arsenic release through concurrent precipitation. |
| Lithium extraction & refining | |
| Evaporation ponds are slow, water-intensive and climate-sensitive. Direct Lithium Extraction remains brine-specific, limiting replication. Electrodialysis and membrane distillation are constrained by fouling and Ca/Mg scaling on raw brines. | Combines DLE with a flexible refinery on one platform: adsorption and ion exchange remove Ca and Mg upstream so that electrodialysis and membrane distillation operate in their favourable regime, producing Li2CO3, LiOH and lithium metal from non-site-specific brines. |
| Lithium metal | |
| Metallic lithium is produced by molten-salt electrolysis. Feed conversion to LiCl is costly, the process emits chlorine, needs expensive safety systems, and generates significant salt and electrolyte waste. | Systematically optimises aluminothermic reduction for higher reduction efficiency and recovery rate with less residue, treating the calcium aluminate slag so alumina and calcium carbonate are recovered and reused. |
Scroll the table horizontally to see both columns.
Where the technologies
are proven at scale
Technological components start the project proven in the laboratory at TRL 4. Large-scale experimentation carries the key routes to TRL 6 and 7.
Aurubis · Germany
Converter slag reduction in a pilot DC electric furnace or TSL smelter at feed rates of 300–500 kg/h, validating up to 90% copper recovery and more than 15% for nickel, tin and lead.
TUBAF · Germany
Final slag reduction in a Top Submerged Lance smelter at 100 kg/h, plus TSL demonstration of the novel pyrometallurgical route at 10–100 kg/h feed rates.
UdeC · Chile
A 50 kg rotary kiln capturing and stabilising arsenic from smelter flue dust mixed with concentrate, and the pilot fluidised bed reactor for the novel route at under 25 kg/h.
GEOS · Germany
Alkaline sulphide leaching at 35 L or bioleaching at 2 m³, selected on techno-economic evaluation, with arsenic and antimony precipitated in marketable form.
EcoMetales · Chile
Pilot-plant leaching and concentration of germanium from smelter dust via ion exchange, GeCl4 distillation and hydrolysis to produce 5N GeO2.
PUC · Chile
The full lithium pilot line: adsorption and ion exchange at 1 m³/h, 20 L electrodialysis to LiOH, and carbonation to battery-grade Li2CO3, with products validated by Sunlight.
What this changes
The Impact pages set out the projected environmental, economic and social outcomes of taking these technologies to industrial scale.