ACISA to run the plant on its own solar supply
Bolivia’s shortages of natural gas and electricity have made one thing clear for the Salar de Uyuni project: a plant of this size cannot rely on a regional supply that is already under strain. ACI Systems Alemania GmbH (ACISA) will therefore build its own energy supply on site — a photovoltaic field with battery storage for the electrical load, and a solar-thermal field with molten-salt storage to raise the process steam.
Together the two fields cover the plant’s full demand day and night. The facility is designed to run off-grid: no gas, no diesel, no boilers and no connection to the national grid — and therefore no competition with Bolivian households and industry for scarce energy.
The Altiplano is one of the best solar sites in the world, with very high irradiation and cool ambient temperatures that keep the modules efficient. Building the supply into the project from the start also removes fuel price and fuel availability from the operating risk, and keeps the carbon footprint of the lithium carbonate close to zero on the energy side.
More on the process and the energy concept on the lithium project and environmental & social pages.