A newly discovered lithium deposit worth approximately USD$540 billion under California’s Salton Sea could help the United States free itself from reliance on China for the critical mineral.
Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory reported on Monday that it estimates being able to extract 18 million metric tons of lithium from the underground pool, which may not be connected to the surface lake.
This lithium resource could supply batteries for over 382 million electric vehicles, according to an engineer with U.S. Department of Energy.
“This is one of the largest lithium brine deposits in the world,” said Michael McKibben, a geochemistry professor at the University of California, Riverside.
“This could make the United States completely self-sufficient in lithium and stop importing it through China.”
There are 11 geothermal plants generating low-carbon energy along the Salton Sea. Ten of these are owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) subsidiary, BHE Renewables. BHE is exploring ways to use them for lithium extraction. Also, EnergySource Minerals announced its intention to start mining operations in 2025 in a bid to be one of the three companies leading the charge in lithium production.
Although the lithium reservoir shows great potential, there are significant difficulties associated with the extraction process.
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Environmental advocacy group has concerns regarding lithium extraction
Researchers must skilfully oversee the geothermal production well operation to avoid environmental repercussions and address potential worries for the 180,000 residents living close to the Salton Sea.
Additionally, the extraction process raises inquiries about water consumption and its impact on the Colorado River.
These environmental and social concerns emphasize the necessity for responsible extraction techniques. The extraction process must balance economic potential with protecting residents and the region’s water supply as it advances.
In 2023, the environmental advocacy group Earthworks reported that researchers have conducted limited studies on the potential harm to water, air, and indigenous cultural sites in the Imperial County region caused by lithium mining operations.
The exact amount of freshwater needed for commercial-scale lithium mining remains unclear. However, the authors anticipate that these operations will use water from the Colorado River, which is necessary in the restoration of the shrinking Salton Sea.
They anticipate that this usage will “exceed the freshwater currently allocated by the Imperial Irrigation District for non-agricultural use.”
Experts warn that if the lake completely disappears, plumes of toxic dust particles could render parts of the Imperial and Coachella valleys and Mexico uninhabitable.
Despite the environmental considerations, however, several companies have received state and federal funding to capitalize on this resource.
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Lithium is necessary to meeting President Biden’s 2030 EV adoption goals
Earlier this year, EnergySource inked a contract to sell lithium to Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F). A few months later, Australian startup Controlled Thermal Resources secured an investment of over $100 million from Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) to support its efforts in generating geothermal electricity and producing lithium. Stellantis is the automaker behind Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram vehicles,
A strong drive exists to extract Salton Sea lithium, reducing U.S. reliance on foreign countries for this critical metal supply.
“Lithium is vital to decarbonizing the economy and meeting President Biden’s goals of 50 per cent electric vehicle adoption by 2030,” said Jeff Marootian, Department of Energy secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Extracting lithium from brine cost-effectively on a large scale is vital for the current opportunity. Lithium prices plummeted in 2023 from $85,000 to under $19,000 per metric ton due to higher production and reduced demand.
The long term prospects of the United States reducing its reliance on Chinese imports of lithium notwithstanding, it will still take a number of years for this project to get off the ground.
Until that time, the United States can still find temporary reprieve from other countries and companies like their own Chile’s Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (SQM) (NYSE: SQM), or Vancouver-based Lithium South Development Corporation (TSXV: LIS) (OTCQB: LISMF) (Frankfurt: OGPQ) operating out of Argentina for production.
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Lithium South Development Corporation is a sponsor of Mugglehead news coverage
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