Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO) has selected French engineering firm Eurodia to supply the industrial extraction unit for its Argentine lithium subsidiary Rincon, which holds the Rincon lithium project.
Rio acquired the Rincon asset from Rincon Mining in March 2022. The property is located in the Lithium Triangle in Argentina’s Salta province, which hosts more than half of the world’s lithium reserves.
According to an initial mineral resources and ore reserves report, released in December, Rincon’s mineral resources, inclusive of ore reserves, stand at 1.54 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent in the measured category, with 7.75 million tonnes in the indicated category and 2.29 million tonnes in the inferred category.
Eurodia is a global specialist in custom-designed, eco-efficient liquid purification processes. The company develops and implements innovative solutions for industries driving the eco-energy transition.
In a Monday (February 3) release announcing its deal with Rio Tinto, Eurodia said Rincon is ‘a breakthrough moment for lithium processing, proving that innovation and responsibility can come together to meet the demands of the future.”
Rincon has an expected annual capacity of 53,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate over a 40 year mine life, although Rio Tinto plans to expand production at the site to 60,000 tonnes per year.
“Eurodia’s contribution is central to this vision, delivering a tailored, high-performance industrial lithium extraction unit that maximizes lithium yield while minimizing environmental impact,” Eurodia said.
“The project combines precision engineering with process efficiency, ensuring that Rio Tinto’s lithium ambitions are realized with both economic and sustainability objectives in mind.”
Rincon is Rio Tinto’s first commercial-scale lithium operation. The major miner announced a US$2.5 billion investment to expand the project this past December, and first lithium was produced at a starter plant the previous month.
A pilot battery-grade lithium carbonate plant is in development at the site and scheduled for completion in H1 2025.
On the exploration side, Rio Tinto is collaborating at Rincon with private company Fleet Space Technologies.
Rio Tinto will use ExoSphere, an exploration solution developed by Fleet Space, to create 3D subsurface maps of the reservoir, basement-depth and brine-influencing structures at Rincon’s salt flat and nearby subvolcanic structures.
Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.