American Lithium Corp. (ALC), Vancouver, B.C., announced on June 27 that it has validated a high purity, fertilizer-quality potassium sulfate (SOP) byproduct from the company’s Falchani Project in Peru. In addition to producing high-quality lithium compounds, the company said SOP can be produced to potentially supply Peru with its domestic needs.
Testing was completed at Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO) Minerals Business Unit laboratories in Sydney, Australia. The SOP produced by ANSTO from Falchani mineralization is 45% potassium and 20% sulfur and falls within the specification parameters of SOP marketed by various producers and traders, according to ALC.
“The strategic importance of the ability to produce significant amounts of SOP from Falchani cannot be overstated,” said Dr. Laurence Stefan, ALC Chief Operating Office. “This byproduct will not only provide an additional potential revenue stream at Falchani, but more importantly will also provide a major source of domestic SOP for Peru, with the potential to largely reduce the country’s dependence on imported overseas fertilizers.”
ALC said Peru imports over 60,000 mt/y of SOP. The company is also eyeing the extraction of other byproducts at the site, including cesium and rubidium.
In addition to Falchani, ALC also has the Macusani uranium project in Peru, as well as the TLC Lithium Claystone Project in the Esmeralda Lithium District in Nevada.