LCA Quantifies Cinovec Lithium Chemical Production CO2 Emissions and Mitigation Scenarios Identified to Produce Low Carbon Products

Rhea-AI Summary

European Metals Holdings Limited (EMHXY) has announced significant updates regarding the Cinovec Project, focusing on its environmental assessments and renewable energy plans. A recent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) conducted by Minviro confirms Cinovec's potential to produce lithium chemicals with low CO2 emissions, utilizing 100% renewable energy from CEZ. The project aims to have lower acidification and water use compared to competitors, enhancing its sustainability credentials. CEZ plans to expand its renewable power capacity by 1500 MW by 2025, ensuring sustainable operations at Cinovec.

Positive

• Cinovec Project shows potential for lowest overall environmental impacts among lithium projects globally.
• 100% renewable energy will power mining and production operations.
• LCA indicates significantly lower acidification potential compared to Australian spodumene.
• Projected water use at Cinovec is less than 5% of Chilean brine benchmarks.

Negative

• None.

 CEZ to Provide Green Power to Project

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cinovec’s Global Warming Potential has been modelled using ISO-compliant LCA by consultancy Minviro Ltd, providing clear resolution of the drivers of the project’s emissions.
  
  
• GWP Impact Mitigation Scenarios identified for the Cinovec Project, potentially including solar power, electric mining fleet, Hypex Bio explosives and use of green hydrogen for thermal energy (Cinovec Decarbonised Case) which could make Cinovec’s lithium chemicals have some of the lowest CO₂ intensity in the world if all impact mitigation strategies are pursued.
  
  
• CEZ plans to provide 100% renewable energy to power the mine, the Front-End Comminution and Beneficiation (FECAB) and Lithium Chemical Plants (LCP)
  
  
• LCA also assessed Acidification Potential (AP), Water Use and Land Use (per ISO standards).
  
  
  • AP is comparable to Chilean Brine but only 13% of the equivalent for Australian spodumene processed in China.
    
    
  • Cinovec Water Use projected to be lower than all benchmarks and <5% of Chilean Brine Water Use even when water evaporated from the brine is not included in the water use calculation.

PERTH, Australia, Jan. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- European Metals Holdings Limited (“EMH”, or “the Company”) (ASX & AIM: EMH, OTC – Nasdaq Intl ADS: EMHXY) is pleased to provide an update in relation to the outcomes of the Life Cycle Assessment conducted by Minviro in relation to lithium battery chemicals production from the Cinovec mine.

Keith Coughlan, Executive Chairman, said “We are extremely pleased that the Minviro LCA has confirmed what we have believed to be the case for a long time – Cinovec has the potential to have the lowest overall environmental impacts compared to other conventional lithium battery metals projects not only in Europe but also on a global basis. With the use of solar power and other optimisations the Cinovec Project will set a standard by which all other conventional lithium producers could be judged. We expect the environmental credentials of the Cinovec Project will help make its product valuable to end users, particularly in light of the new EU requirements in relation to greenhouse emissions. Not only does the optimised model demonstrate very low CO2 emissions, the Project also delivers excellent results with regards to acidification and water consumption. As Cinovec is an historic underground mine with minimal social and environmental impacts, the entire ESG credentials of the Project are very strong.

MINE, FECAB AND LCP TO BE POWERED BY SOLAR POWER PLANT

CEZ, EMH’s joint venture partner in the Cinovec Lithium Project, plans to provide 100% renewable energy to power the mine, the Front-End Comminution and Beneficiation (FECAB) And Lithium Chemical Plants (LCP). CEZ currently owns renewables installations with aggregate power generation capacity of 1720 MW. This capacity will increase by 1500 MW by 2025.

The renewable energy sources will be capable of providing all the required power for all aspects of the Cinovec Project including the mine, the FECAB plant as well as the Lithium Chemical Plant under normal operating conditions. The Company is also considering the use of electric mining equipment to further reduce the CO₂ footprint at Cinovec.

CINOVEC LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT  

As previously announced, Minviro (a UK-based and globally recognised sustainability and life cycle assessment consultancy) was engaged to conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for the Cinovec Project’s proposed lithium battery-grade chemicals, Lithium Carbonate (Li₂CO₃) and Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate (LiOH) (refer to the Company’s ASX release dated 10 June 2021). The LCA was completed at the end of 3Q21 and the full results underwent independent external QA/QC peer review, including ISO compliance review, before finalisation.

Minviro also assessed GWP reduction strategies being advanced by Geomet management (as part of the ongoing Definitive Feasibility Study) to reduce the carbon footprint of Cinovec, including full electrification of the mine and mining vehicle fleet; sourcing all electrical power for both the mine and lithium processing plant from a proposed co-developed photovoltaic cell array adjacent to the Cinovec processing plant; and green hydrogen as replacement for conventional gas in the ore roasting process (Decarbonization Case).

The LCA was conducted according to the requirements of the ISO-14040:2006 and ISO-14044:2006, including a third-party review from LCA experts to ensure that the LCA study is scientifically robust.

Results of the Life Cycle Assessment

LiOH Production

LiOH products can have different environmental impacts depending on the natural resource they are produced from and the process technology chosen in flowsheets. A comparison of how the Cínovec LiOH product will compare to existing process pathways is shown below in Figure 1.

For all five production routes shown in Figure 1 the chemical processing is the largest driver of the impact. Transport is minimal for all routes except for the Australian spodumene route, where the spodumene concentrate is transported to China; and the LiOH product from all production routes is transported 400 km from the Port of Rotterdam to provide the GWP impacts as delivered at the same end-users.

Figure 1 is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9e7617d9-a206-439a-b1cd-3af29a15145c

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT

https://www.investi.com.au/api/announcements/emh/7b59ad15-7be.pdf

CONTACT
For further information on this update or the Company generally, please visit our website at www.europeanmet.com.

ENQUIRIES:

European Metals Holdings Limited
Keith Coughlan, Executive Chairman	Tel: +61 (0) 419 996 333 Email: keith@europeanmet.com
Kiran Morzaria, Non-Executive Director	Tel: +44 (0) 20 7440 0647
Dennis Wilkins, Company Secretary	Tel: +61 (0) 417 945 049 Email: dennis@europeanmet.com

FAQ

What are the key findings from the Life Cycle Assessment for EMHXY's Cinovec Project?

The LCA indicates Cinovec can achieve low CO2 emissions and reduced acidification potential, positioning it favorably among global lithium producers.

How will EMHXY ensure sustainability in the Cinovec Project?

EMHXY plans to utilize 100% renewable energy from CEZ to power mining and processing operations at Cinovec.

What is CEZ's role in the Cinovec Lithium Project?

CEZ is EMHXY's joint venture partner, responsible for supplying renewable energy for the mine and production facilities.

When is CEZ expected to increase its renewable energy capacity?

CEZ aims to increase its renewable energy capacity by 1500 MW by 2025, supporting the Cinovec Project's energy needs.

How does Cinovec's water use compare to other lithium projects?

Cinovec's projected water use is less than 5% of that used in Chilean brine lithium extraction, making it more sustainable.