Demonstration-Scale Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE)

Project Overview

GWTS served as the Owner's Representative for a clean energy technology client developing a demonstration-scale Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) system integrated with Advanced Reverse Osmosis. The project ran from June 2022 through November 2024, with the GWTS team providing process engineering leadership, project management, and technical advisory services throughout the design, procurement, and demonstration phases.

Direct Lithium Extraction is an emerging critical mineral recovery technology with significant implications for battery supply chains and clean energy transition. This demonstration-scale system was designed to validate the DLE process at meaningful scale, with Advanced RO providing the high-quality, high-purity water streams required for lithium concentration and selective extraction.

GWTS Role — Owner's Representative

• Process engineering review and technical validation of DLE system design
• Integration design for Advanced RO pretreatment and DLE post-treatment
• Vendor selection and technical evaluation of DLE and membrane suppliers
• Project management: schedule, budget, and scope management through demonstration phase
• Technical interface between the client team, EPC contractors, and technology vendors
• Risk identification and mitigation strategy development
• Commissioning support and performance verification

Technical Context

Advanced RO plays a critical enabling role in DLE systems: high-pressure RO pre-concentrates lithium-bearing brines before selective extraction, increasing lithium concentration and reducing the volume of brine requiring treatment. The quality and consistency of the RO permeate and concentrate streams directly impacts DLE selectivity and recovery efficiency.

At the demonstration scale ($1.5M system), the project de-risked the integrated process before commitment to commercial-scale capital investment — a critical milestone for the client's technology development pathway.