Allkem Limited has announced that Stage 2 of the Olaroz Lithium Facility has successfully achieved first production, with wet lithium carbonate cake produced at the filter presses.

The Olaroz Stage 2 development has a nameplate capacity of 25,000 tonnes per year (tpa) of technical grade lithium carbonate. Olaroz is managed through Sales de Jujuy SA, a joint venture company owned with Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TTC) and JEMSE (a Jujuy State company).

With first production now achieved, and mechanical completion at 99.5% completion, the focus will be on completion of the commissioning process by progressively increasing production volumes and product quality over a 12-18 month ramp up period. Once ramp up has been completed, the combined Olaroz Stage 1 and Stage 2 infrastructure will have a nameplate capacity of ~42,500 tpa of lithium carbonate.

Allkem Managing Director and CEO, Martin Perez de Solay said: “We are very proud to have achieved the milestone of first production at Olaroz Stage 2 proving the operational viability of the carbonation process. The successful expansion of Olaroz reflects our growth strategy and commitment to ensure long-term social and economic sustainability of our business for customers and stakeholders. This achievement demonstrates the expertise of our team who will now focus on completion of commissioning and ramp up to full capacity.”

The Olaroz Stage 2 project involved the construction of 15 extra brine wells, 31 evaporation ponds, three lime plants, a reverse osmosis water plant, a soda ash plant, a carbonation plant, accommodation and other services.

Olaroz Stage 2 is intended to supply up to 9,500 tpa of technical grade lithium carbonate feedstock to the Company’s Naraha lithium hydroxide plant. The Naraha plant, which was recently commissioned in Japan, is owned in joint venture between Allkem and TTC.