Dutch LiSA Consortium Launches Pilot to Scale Low-Carbon Lithium Refining in Europe

A Dutch consortium led by Nobian has launched a pilot project to develop a circular, low-carbon process for refining battery-grade lithium, supported by a €2 million grant from the Dutch government. The initiative aims to strengthen Europe’s battery materials supply chain by integrating lithium recovered from recycled batteries and geothermal resources into a more energy-efficient refining process.

The Lithium Refining via Salt-Assisted Crystallization (LiSA) consortium brings together Nobian, Back to Battery, the University of Twente and Demcon Suster, with the Institute for Sustainable Process Technology (ISPT) coordinating the project. Backed by a total investment of €3.6 million, the three-year pilot will be carried out in the Netherlands under the government's TKI Energy programme.

The project will evaluate the use of lithium chloride sourced from European geothermal brines and end-of-life batteries to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate. At the core of the process is Nobian's patented salt-assisted crystallization technology, which combines electrochemistry with crystallization to convert lithium chloride into high-purity battery materials.

In the process, lithium chloride is combined with caustic soda before passing through two crystallization stages that separate lithium hydroxide and sodium chloride. The recovered sodium chloride is then reused in Nobian's existing chlor-alkali electrolysis facilities to produce fresh caustic soda, creating a closed-loop process that reduces raw material consumption.

According to the consortium, the refining technology is expected to reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions by around 50% compared with conventional lithium refining methods. The process is also designed to consume less water, generate fewer waste streams and lower production costs.

A pilot-scale research facility will be built to test lithium feedstocks from different sources, optimize operating conditions and evaluate how impurities from recycled battery materials can be managed during refining.

Europe remains heavily dependent on imported lithium chemicals despite growing demand from electric vehicles and energy storage systems. The LiSA project seeks to improve access to locally sourced battery materials by combining recycling with domestic refining, supporting the objectives of the EU's Critical Raw Materials strategy while reducing exposure to supply chain disruptions and geopolitical risks.

Coert van Lare, Director of the Renewable & Circular Innovation Program at Nobian, said the project applies the company’s expertise in electrochemistry and crystallization to develop a more energy-efficient route for producing battery-grade lithium while supporting Europe’s transition to a more resilient battery value chain.

Back to Battery will supply recycled lithium-containing brines recovered from end-of-life batteries for the pilot. Demcon Suster will design and construct the laboratory-scale research facility, while the University of Twente will contribute process modelling, optimization and scale-up studies. ISPT will coordinate the project and share technical findings with industry participants.

The LiSA initiative forms part of Nobian’s broader battery chemicals program, which also includes projects focused on sodium-based battery technologies. Together, the initiatives are intended to expand Europe’s domestic production of sustainable battery materials and support the development of a more circular battery manufacturing ecosystem.

Source: Nobian

SUNSHINE Spotlight: The LiSA pilot combines lithium recycling and refining in a single process, advancing Europe’s efforts to develop domestic, lower-carbon battery material production while reducing reliance on imported critical raw materials.