TARDIS

Access to strategic raw materials is regarded as a matter of European security and is expected to be secured not only through primary sources but also through secondary sources. The recovery of critical raw materials from geothermal fluids is an example of such a secondary source. The extraction of lithium in particular, plays a key role in the energy and mobility infrastructure of the future.

With its lithium-bearing salt flats (salars), Chile occupies a crucial position in the global supply of critical raw materials. The authorization of 23 additional salars for the exploration of commercial projects further highlights this potential. At the same time, Germany’s strategic partnership with Chile aims to strengthen Europe’s supply of raw materials.

The target of the BMFTR-funded TARDIS project “Towards the sustainable implementation of direct lithium extraction (DLE) processes: Improving brine processing and sustainable energy use” is to unlock the potential of geothermal fluids and salars as sources of critical raw materials and to develop sustainable methods for their extraction. The focus is on the development and evaluation of an integrated concept for lithium extraction from salars that combines Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) with a geothermal energy supply. This approach seeks to link Chile’s globally significant lithium resources with its exceptionally high geothermal potential, thereby contributing to the decarbonization of the mining sector.

By integrating hydrochemical, geothermal, and technological approaches, the project aims to establish a scientific foundation for resource-efficient DLE processes. Compared with conventional evaporation-based methods, DLE technology enables lower water consumption and, through the reinjection of process water, offers the potential for nearly water-neutral operation.

The research activities carried out within the TARDIS project are also closely connected to the German-Chilean research initiative BRIDGE (German-Chilean Institute for Raw Material Extraction from Fluids and Integrative Geological Reservoir Modeling).