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feature HYdraulics & pneumatics zero-carbon producti o Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL) has specified


Watson-Marlow 630 and Qdos 60 peristaltic pumps to deliver the precision dosing, reliability and safety required for its mineral extraction process


around the plant, offering flexibility for changing process needs. Commenting on the pumps, Tom Lees,


process scientist at GEL, takes up the story: “We have found the Watson-Marlow and Qdos pumps easy to use, rather than strokes per minute with other pump types. We need to get the pH level above 11 so the accuracy of the pump is important for that and the Qdos pump keeps the acid contained within the pump with no spillages or risk to operators. “The Watson-Marlow 630 and Qdos pumps


don’t lose accuracy over time like other pump types do, and they are well known in the industry so some of our operators have used the pumps before and are familiar with them. We know we can rely on the pumps to dose what we ask them to dose. “When we are looking to further optimise what


we get out of the ground, we will need more accuracy and we know we will be able to get that with the Watson-Marlow and Qdos pumps. “Lithium comes from an evaporator to a tank,


and one of the Watson-Marlow 630 pumps is dosing sodium carbonate which activates the precipitation reaction. The second 630 pump alongside the other one transfers out the precipitate slurry to the centrifuge. A third 630 pump has been used to transfer reagent, sodium carbonate and brine, and can do 5-7 litres per hour, so flow control is important. The speed settings are very versatile. “We move the pump around the site and


I


n February 2026, Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL) started commercial scale production of zero-carbon lithium carbonate from its


geothermal power plant at United Downs in Cornwall. Lithium carbonate is the key raw material used in the production of rechargeable batteries, including those that power electric vehicles and energy storage systems. The company has the capacity to produce 100 tonnes per annum (tpa) and aims to scale up to over 10,000 tpa over the next decade. GEL is a leading developer of geothermal


energy in the UK with the aim to develop geothermal power, heat, and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) compliant, ultra-low carbon lithium projects. The geothermal fluid that is used for the GEL power plant comes from the deepest well ever drilled in the UK soil, at over 5km deep, according to the company. The water reaches the surface at 140˚C and contains over 340 parts per million of battery- grade lithium carbonate, making it among the highest lithium concentrations in the world. Once the geothermal fluids pass through the power plant, the temperature is reduced to 50˚C, the optimal temperature for lithium extraction. The water will help drive turbines to generate electricity for 10,000 homes. Needing pumps for this application, the


3 DESIGN SOLUTIONS June 2026 0 company turned to Watson-Marlow.


PumP solutions As part of the lithium carbonate processing, two Qdos 60 chemical metering pumps are dosing acid and alkali in the removal of impurities. One Qdos pump is dosing sodium hydroxide to raise the pH level to 11 to remove impurities such as zinc, iron, silicon, and phosphorous. After the impurities have been filtered out, the other Qdos pump doses hydrochloric acid for pH correction. The pumps are being used for approximately 20 minutes per tank, six times per week, in the removal of impurities/brine stability stage. The Qdos chemical metering pumps deliver


accurate, reliable process chemistry while providing simple, safer, maintenance for GEL. They are ideal for the contained dosing of acids and alkalis, the company explains. Later in the process, however, three


Watson-Marlow 630 pumps are used to transfer lithium brine and extract the lithium precipitate, as well as other transfer tasks.


An eAsy to use solution Not only are the pumps highly accurate, enabling GEL to maximise recovery and produce consistent lithium quality, but the portability of the 630 pumps means they can be moved


changing the tubing, putting it back together again, is really easy to do. We don’t need specific training to use the pump and that’s important.”


AccurAcy And reliAbility The Watson-Marlow 630 pump is handling hot lithium brine up to 140 litres per hour and sodium carbonate up to 150 litres per hour. “Dosing sodium carbonate accurately is


important for us because sodium carbonate is added in a calculated quantity to ensure that all of the lithium chloride reacts to form lithium carbonate, our product,” explained Charlotte Wilkins, lithium and projects manager at GEL. “Overdosing would mean that we wasted expensive reagents. Underdosing means that we would leave lithium behind.” Wilkins added: “We know we have local support


for the pumps should we need it and the pumps have always been reliable. Watson-Marlow is well known in the industry and they happen to be based just down the road from our plant.” Lars Varnbueler, customer and sector


insights lead, mining, at WMFTS, added: “Accurate acid and alkali dosing is critical because poor pH control can lead to inconsistent impurity removal, excess reagent use and avoidable lithium losses. Qdos pumps help our customers protect downstream recovery, improve process consistency and


www.designsolutionsmag.co.uk How peristaltic pu


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