U.S. Division of Power Evaluation Confirms California’s Salton Sea Area To Be A Wealthy Home Lithium Useful resource

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Evaluation Concludes the Area May Meet the Nation’s Want for the Essential Mineral by means of Extraction from Geothermal Brines Utilizing Modern Applied sciences in Improvement

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Division of Power (DOE) lately introduced outcomes of essentially the most complete evaluation so far quantifying the home lithium assets in California’s Salton Sea area. Performed by DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley Nationwide Laboratory, the evaluation discovered that with anticipated expertise advances, the Salton Sea area’s complete assets might produce greater than 3,400 kilotons of lithium, sufficient to help over 375 million batteries for electrical automobiles (EV)—greater than the whole variety of automobiles presently on U.S. roads. The evaluation confirms the area has vital potential as a home supply of this essential mineral utilized in batteries for stationary storage and EVs, each of that are essential to the Biden-Harris Administration’s purpose of a net-zero emissions financial system by 2050.

“Lithium is significant to decarbonizing the financial system and assembly President Biden’s objectives of fifty% electrical automobile adoption by 2030,” mentioned Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Power Effectivity and Renewable Power. “This report confirms the once-in-a-generation alternative to construct a home lithium business at residence whereas additionally increasing clear, versatile electrical energy technology. Utilizing American innovation, we will lead the clear power future, create jobs and a powerful home provide chain, and enhance our nationwide power safety.”

The USA presently has restricted capabilities to extract, refine, and produce domestically sourced lithium, which means practically all lithium for U.S. wants should be imported. Geothermal brines, that are a byproduct of geothermal electrical energy technology, typically have excessive concentrations of minerals like lithium and zinc. Whereas actual concentrations of those minerals rely on the situation and surrounding geology, using direct lithium extraction (DLE) from geothermal brines presents a promising alternative to couple clear, renewable electrical energy with a supply of home lithium. Findings of the evaluation are based mostly on the flexibility to entry the whole Salton Sea geothermal reservoir for electrical energy manufacturing, in addition to the flexibility to totally extract lithium assets from ensuing geothermal brines.

The Salton Sea Identified Geothermal Useful resource Space (KGRA) has about 400 megawatts (MW) of geothermal electricity-generation capability put in and is estimated to have the potential for as much as 2,950 MW, leaving intensive room to extend geothermal electrical energy technology whereas accessing extra of the area’s obtainable lithium assets—enabling the US to satisfy or exceed world lithium demand for many years. The examine additionally assessed environmental impacts of lithium extraction, together with water use, air emissions, and strong waste, and engaged the encompassing neighborhood for listening classes and different discussions to make sure consideration for native considerations and concepts.

The mixed subsurface geology and geothermal exercise within the Salton Sea’s KGRA lead to excessive concentrations of lithium, and the KGRA has lengthy been eyed as a wealthy supply of the essential mineral. In 2020, the California State Legislature established a fee to research and analyze eight matters associated to lithium extraction in California. The fee’s ultimate report notes that the Salton Sea KGRA is believed to have the very best focus of lithium contained in geothermal brines on this planet and presents suggestions geared toward increasing geothermal power and lithium extraction from geothermal brines within the area.

The Geothermal Applied sciences Workplace (GTO) funded the lithium quantification report, a part of DOE’s portfolio researching lithium extraction from geothermal brines. The portfolio additionally contains GTO’s latest American-Made Challenges Geothermal Lithium Extraction Prize and a joint $11 million R&D program, funded by the Superior Supplies and Manufacturing Applied sciences Workplace and supported by GTO, to develop and speed up applied sciences for extracting and changing battery-grade lithium from geothermal brines.

This lithium analysis is a component a broader suite of DOE investments in essential supplies, together with the latest launch of a first-of-its-kind Essential Supplies Collaborative, funding to strengthen home essential materials provide chains and home battery manufacturing, and a forthcoming Essential Supplies Accelerator Program.

Initially revealed on Power.gov. Featured picture courtesy of Google Maps.