A new Dutch research initiative is seeking to simplify the production of battery-grade lithium materials by developing a shorter processing route for lithium chloride recovered from geothermal brines and recycled batteries. The LiSA consortium, bringing together Dutch chemicals producer Nobian, battery recycler Back to Battery, the University of Twente and engineering company Demcon Suster, has received a €2 million grant from the Dutch government to develop and test the technology.
The project will focus on Nobian’s salt-assisted crystallisation process, which is designed to convert lithium chloride directly into battery-grade materials while eliminating some of the intermediate processing stages commonly required in conventional lithium refining.
Recycling and Geothermal Lithium Feedstock
The technology could potentially process lithium chloride derived from European geothermal brines as well as recycled batteries. That combination could become strategically important as Europe develops both domestic lithium extraction and battery-recycling capacity. Different lithium projects can produce different chemical intermediates, while battery and cathode manufacturers require materials that meet strict specifications for purity and consistency.
A shorter processing route could reduce energy consumption and limit the number of purification steps between lithium extraction and the production of battery-ready material. It could also create an additional domestic market for recycled lithium chloride, reducing the need for further treatment or shipment to overseas processors.
Pilot Project Must Prove Purity and Recovery
The LiSA initiative remains at the pilot stage, and several key technical and commercial parameters have yet to be disclosed. The consortium has not announced expected annual capacity, recovery rates, final product specifications, operating costs or the size of any future demonstration facility.
One of the main technical challenges will be controlling impurities across different feedstocks. Elements including sodium, calcium, magnesium and transition metals must be consistently removed or controlled to produce material suitable for battery applications. The process will also need to demonstrate competitive reagent consumption, effective waste-salt management and compatibility with existing chemical-processing infrastructure.
€2 Million Grant Targets Technical Validation
Even if the pilot successfully demonstrates the technology, further development would still be required before commercial deployment. The consortium would need to scale up the process, secure product qualification from cathode manufacturers and establish a reliable supply of lithium chloride from geothermal and recycling operations.
The €2 million government grant is therefore primarily a technology-development investment rather than funding for a full-scale lithium refinery. Its immediate significance lies in reducing technical uncertainty around a potentially more efficient European lithium-processing and recycling route. If successful, LiSA could help connect domestic lithium resources and battery recycling with European chemical manufacturing, supporting efforts to build a more resilient and lower-energy lithium supply chain.
