Saudi-based Lihytech invests $6mn for lithium extraction from seawater

Saudi-based Lihytech invests $6mn for lithium extraction from seawater

King Abdullah University of science & technology (KAUST) and Saudi Arabian Mining corporation Ma’aden have announced a $6 million investment in Lithium Infinity (Lihytech).

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be driven by the battery-grade lithium produced by the KAUST firm to develop the whole value chain for electric vehicles (EVs). A membrane-based lithium extraction method created by Professor Zhiping Lai at KAUST has been patented by Lihytech.

Alkali metal can be extracted using cutting-edge technology from a variety of sources, including seawater, brine, red mud, and more. The firm was supported by KAUST’s research translation initiative, the KAUST Near Term Grand Challenge, and the campus is where the technology is being developed.

The technology will advance from the lab to a commercial pilot scale with this investment. Ma’aden is spearheading the investment with $4 million, followed by $2 million from KAUST Innovation Ventures. KAUST Innovation Ventures, the University’s venture financing arm, sponsors deep tech firms that aim to provide answers to urgent scientific and technological challenges, such as lithium extraction. With the additional funding, Lihytech plans to construct a pilot facility at KAUST to extract lithium from the Red Sea and other United Kingdom resources.

Ma’aden and KAUST agreed on a Memorandum of