Selective Rubidium Extraction from NEOM Seawater Desalination Plant

Project Member(s): Shon, H., Phuntsho, S., Danasamy, G., Choo, Y.

Funding or Partner Organisation: NEOM Energy and Water Company - ENOWA (NEOM)
NEOM Energy and Water Company - ENOWA (NEOM)

Start year: 2024

Summary: This project aims to develop cost-effective, energy-efficient, and practical technologies for recovering Rb minerals from the seawater desalination brine to achieve a circular economy and offset desalination costs for NEOM City, Saudi Arabia. Brine mining in this study will be focussed on high-value ions such as rubidium (Rb) from seawater. With more than 19,000 desalination plants installed worldwide and their expected growth rate of 7.8% annually, desalination plants offer a direct infrastructure site for mining valuable ions from seawater or seawater brine. NEOM city aims to avoid brine discharge from a 1 million cubic meter seawater desalination plant and recover those high-value elements to achieve a circular economy. At 60% recovery rate, the NEOM seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant is expected to produce brine containing 13-16 million tons of raw sea salt worth $650 - $800 million annually. Rubidium (Rb) is a highly-priced metal used to develop high-precision laser technology and magnetic sensors. The high price of Rb (USD 14,720/kg), compared to other metals in high demand namely lithium (Li, USD 11/kg), is attributed to the rarity of Rb. The overall aim and output of this project are to develop a large-scale Rb recovery facility from seawater for pilot-scale application at NEOM seawater desalination plant. Aim 1 Synthesis selective KCoFC ion exchange material in bulk quality in powdered form Aim 2 Encapsulate KCoFC ion exchange powdered form material into granular beads Aim 3a Conduct a continuous operation of Rb recovery using granulated KCoFCs and model NEOM solution in semi-pilot scale ion exchange column (UTS) Aim 3b Large scale columns for continuous operation of Rb recovery at NEOM facility (to be carried out by NEOM) with ion exchange material provided by UTS (Aim 2) Aim 4 Develop a method to separate Rb from K from the regenerated solution from Aim 3a

FOR Codes: Separation¿¿technologies, Environmentally sustainable energy activities not elsewhere classified

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.