Is Lithium Refining the Next Big Shift in the Energy Industry?

Is Lithium Refining the Next Big Shift in the Energy Industry?Extracting lithium chloride from brine to create battery-grade lithium carbonate has become an increasing focus in the energy industry. Conductive Energy Inc. is one of the companies leading the world’s lithium production and refinement initiatives, helping move the needle towards a clean energy future. 

The CEO and Founder of Conductive Energy Inc., Haafiz Hasham, sat down with Rachel Gregory, Digital Host at The Global Energy Show, to discuss how the company forms lithium carbonate through lithium refining and how lithium is shaping the future of energy.

*Disclaimer: At the time of the interview, Conductive Energy Inc. went by the name “LiEP Energy”. 

Is a Lithium Energy Transition the Next Big Shift in the Canadian Energy Industry?

How Lithium Refining Stands Out as an Emerging Innovation

Rachel: In 2019, you and your partners were award recipients of the Energy New Venture Competition for your business, LiEP energy. What was the big idea behind your business plan that stood out as an emerging innovation and innovator for the energy sector?

Haafiz: As we move forward with the energy transition in Canada and the world, we're going to need to continuously tap into significant resources to produce lithium. That means we need new technologies that are adaptable for both high-quality and low-quality resources. We are trying to ensure that we can apply our technology to both a low-quality resource and a high-quality resource in order to successfully create a sustainable energy transition and localize our supply chains.

This technology fundamentally encompasses electrochemistry in multiple steps. With electrochemistry, we can take advantage of low power energy consumption. Our refining system can actually process lithium concentrations through direct lithium extraction to store energy. 

Contributing to The Unique Lithium Energy Transition in North America

Rachel: What would you say is the biggest issue or problem that LiEP is trying to solve?

Haafiz: There isn't a lithium market truly established in Canada or North America. It's something that is currently being established and is evolving. So just trying to find where we fit into the supply chain, we had to be a little bit more strategic in the way we approach the lithium extraction process and the type of partners and lithium resources we're able to unlock.

We've also realized that throughout the lithium production process, sometimes tailings get produced. We have been able to improve and adapt our system to not only handle mass production fluids but also process the tailings into the global market.

Exceeding Environmental Sustainability Goals With Lithium Carbonate

Rachel: Canada is leading the way when it comes to clean energy production. So, how is LiEP developing expertise in meeting and even exceeding environmental sustainability goals?

Haafiz: We've made a huge focus on becoming a chemical processing company. We're really looking at every single product that enters our system and want to make sure there's no waste, so we're really maximizing the byproducts that we produce. 

We're also looking at byproducts from a global supply chain perspective; where can we reduce stresses in our entire value chain and recycle as much source material as possible in order to keep our footprint low.

The Beginning of the Lithium Industry in Canada

Rachel: How have you worked alongside your peers in order to establish sustainability goals for your industry?

Haafiz: Supply chain or the lithium industry in Canada is still in its infancy. It's a pretty nascent industry, and we are working together in order to help inform investment decisions, regulations, and legal frameworks that will support the growth of this new industry.

The Future of LiEP Energy

Rachel: Where do you see the future of LiEP energy? 

Haafiz: Ultimately, I see us becoming commercially viable and really becoming a key element in the global production industry. We're really hoping we can contribute to this energy transition and support a clean energy future by extracting lithium.

Rachel: Thank you so much. It was so great to learn about Canadian lithium refining and what LiEP energy is all about. So, we look forward to following along on your company's journey.

Learn More About The Future of Lithium Production in Canada

Lithium refining is key to the commercial production of lithium ion batteries, especially to power electric vehicles and in glass and ceramic manufacturing.

As we're becoming more aware of the energy shifts necessary to create a clean energy future, it's important that we promote the global energy transition of renewable energy sources and advanced energy storage technologies.

If you're interested in learning more about lithium mining and batteries or other new innovative energy storage technologies and how they’re actively changing the game in North America's energy industry, register for the next Global Energy Show today.