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Domestic Lithium

image credit: lbnl.gov
John Benson's picture
Senior Consultant, Microgrid Labs

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Microgrid Labs, Inc. Advisor: 2014 to Present Developed product plans, conceptual and preliminary designs for projects, performed industry surveys and developed...

  • Member since 2013
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  • Dec 28, 2023
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Currently Electric Vehicles (EVs) are ramping up production very rapidly. Ditto Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), mostly used in conjunction with renewable energy production from Wind and Solar-Power. The primary chemistries used in conjunction with the batteries in both of the products is Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) Batteries. Although other non-lithium chemistries have been proposed, Li-Ion is the state-of-the-art presently.

Although there are several viable types of Li-Ion batteries, each requiring different other elements in their cathode chemistries, all of these require lithium. The primary questions about these product’s supply chain are: (1) can we ramp up the Lithium supply rapidly enough, and (2) can we source these domestically (from the U.S.)?

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Jim Stack's picture
Jim Stack on Dec 29, 2023

Yes the USA has some great areas with Lithium. It is not deep harmful mining but surface Lithium. Texas has some great areas that Tesla is starting to mine.

QUOTE= Tesla's initial investment in its 1,200-acre Texas lithium refining facility will be $375 million, with an eventual investment of over $1 billion. The plant will be able to produce enough lithium hydroxide for more than 1 million EVs per year, making it the largest lithium production facility in North America.Nov 3, 2023

John Benson's picture
John Benson on Jan 2, 2024

Hi Jim:

Thanks for the comment.

As I pointed out this this and an earlier paper. The good news with the Salton Sea deposits is that the subsurface water they are in has been used for quite a few years for geothermal generation, and extracting the lithium salts is just one more processing step before the water is pumped back underground. Apparently, there are no negative side effects. The more Lithium we can get from domestic sources, the less we will need to import.

-John

John Benson's picture
Thank John for the Post!
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