Clean TeQ Water Limited (ASX: CNQ) has announced it has been awarded a US$12.5 million (approximately A$19.2 million) contract by Rigi – Rincon Mining Pty Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto, for the Rincon Lithium Project located in Salta Province, Argentina. Clean TeQ is a global technology leader headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, specialising in providing economic and environmentally sustainable solutions to address critical issues related to freshwater scarcity, mine tailings, and metal recovery. The project entails the engineering design, procurement, and supply of a lithium concentrate softening plant utilising Clean TeQ’s proprietary CLEAN-IX Moving Bed Ion Exchange (MBIX) technology.
This contract represents a significant milestone for Clean TeQ, marking one of the largest contracts in the company’s history and its first major project in South America. The company considers this a strategic achievement, positioning Clean TeQ as a global player in both the lithium refining and direct lithium extraction (DLE) sectors.
The delivery of the plant is scheduled to occur over a staged, three-year period, aligning with the timeline for large-scale industrial installations. The contract is based on standard design and supply terms and includes a commercially balanced termination for convenience clause, requiring a minimum of fifteen working days’ written notice.
Clean TeQ CEO Peter Voigt stated the company is proud to be selected by Rio Tinto to support its lithium project. He added that the contract is a strong endorsement of Clean TeQ’s MBIX technology as a solution for lithium refining, reducing lithium loss and fresh water use, and that the company sees a significant global opportunity for MBIX as a critical enabler of cost-effective, sustainable lithium production as lithium demand accelerates.
