PolyCera® is proud to announce that the Salt Lake Lithium Extraction Project in Tibet has received Distinction in the Industrial Project of the Year category at the 2026 Global Water Awards.
The award was presented on 19 May 2026 during the Global Water Summit and recognizes the project’s contribution to advancing direct lithium extraction under demanding operating conditions.
The project represents one of the world’s most significant commercial scale applications of direct lithium extraction from salt lake brine. Its second phase added a treatment capacity of 2,300 m³/h, bringing the total project capacity to more than 100,000 m³/d and supporting the production of up to 60,000 tonnes of lithium salts annually.
Membrane filtration under challenging brine conditions
Located in the Jieza Chaka Salt Lake mining area in Tibet, the project must operate with cold, highly alkaline and hypersaline brine. Winter brine temperatures can fall below 4°C, while the feed contains high concentrations of suspended solids.
PolyCera Hydro UF membranes are used in the magnesium removal stage ahead of the adsorption based lithium extraction process. The membranes treat brine containing approximately 700 mg/L of suspended solids at a pH of around 13, without conventional pretreatment. This reduces process complexity while providing stable fi ltration under conditions that are diffi cult for conventional polymeric membranes.
The second phase followed the successful operation of the initial 1,900 m³/h membrane system. Its expansion demonstrates how robust ultrafi ltration can support direct lithium extraction at industrial scale while improving operational reliability and reducing energy demand.
Supporting resource recovery at scale
The distinction highlights the role that advanced membrane technology can play in resource recovery. Lithium extraction requires treatment systems that can manage diffi cult water chemistry without introducing excessive pretreatment, energy consumption or operational complexity.
PolyCera membranes combine ceramic membrane performance with polymeric membrane economics. Their high fouling resistance, broad pH tolerance and ability to operate under demanding industrial conditions make them suitable for applications including lithium extraction, mining wastewater, oily wastewater and zero liquid discharge systems.
PolyCera® thanks the project partners and everyone involved in delivering this important project. Receiving Distinction at the 2026 Global Water Awards refl ects both the scale of the achievement and its relevance to the future of more effi cient and reliable lithium production.
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