Clean TeQ Water Secures over A$19M Contract for Rio Tinto Rincon Lithium Project
6 November 2025
Clean TeQ Water has been awarded a US$12.5 million (>A$19 million) contract by Rigi – Rincon Mining Pty Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto Ltd) for the Rincon Lithium Project in Argentina.
The contract involves the engineering design, procurement and supply of a lithium concentrate softening plant using Clean TeQ’s proprietary CLEAN-IX® Moving Bed Ion Exchange (MBIX) technology.
Representative model of Clean TeQ’s proprietary CLEAN-IX® Moving Bed Ion Exchange (MBIX) system, designed for selective and efficient removal of contaminants such as hardness from lithium brine.
This award marks a strategic achievement for Clean TeQ, being one of the largest contracts in the Company’s history and its first major project in South America. It firmly positions Clean TeQ as a global player in the lithium refining and direct lithium extraction (DLE) sectors.
CLEAN-IX® Moving Bed Ion Exchange
Clean TeQ’s CLEAN-IX® MBIX-based brine softening systems often incorporate the Company’s proprietary U-Column technology, pictured right.
The Moving Bed Ion Exchange (MBIX) process is highly effective for the selective and efficient removal of contaminants such as hardness from lithium brines, enabling more efficient downstream processing. MBIX offers several advantages over conventional ion exchange, including lower water consumption, simplified recycle streams, reduced operating expenditure, minimal dilution of the lithium product stream, and up to ten times lower lithium losses.
Unlike fixed-bed and simulated moving-bed systems that cycle solutions, MBIX is a true moving-bed process. The resin itself flows continuously from column to column, counter-current to the solution, maximising loading at each stage. This continuous operation delivers high selectivity and removal efficiency, even from challenging feeds, while using less water, fewer reagents, and a smaller footprint.
Because MBIX is delivered as modular trains, it integrates easily into existing circuits and scales by replication.
“This contract is one of our largest and is our first in the South American lithium triangle. The award is a strong endorsement of our MBIX technology as a best-in-class solution for, in this case, lithium refining – where it reduces lithium loss and fresh water use.
“As lithium demand accelerates over the coming decades, we see a significant global opportunity for MBIX as a critical enabler of cost-effective, sustainable lithium production.”
In parallel, Clean TeQ is advancing proprietary Direct Lithium Extraction (cDLE®) capabilities through its Go2Lithium joint venture. The JV is focused on commercialising Clean TeQ’s continuous ion exchange for efficient lithium recovery from brines. cDLE® is emerging as a transformative approach to lithium supply by offering higher recoveries and lower environmental footprint compared to conventional evaporation. This positions Clean TeQ at both the front (cDLE®) and back (refining) ends of the lithium production chain, enhancing its strategic relevance as lithium demand accelerates in response to the global EV and energy storage boom.