Just a few years ago, there was little interest in lithium as a raw material. Today, this alkali metal is essential in modern electric cars. Depending on the battery capacity, every electric car contains from ten to twenty kilograms of “white gold”.
Currently, over 130,000 are processed each year. tons of lithium. Experts predict that the demand for this raw material will triple in the next five years and will continue to grow rapidly thereafter.
Lithium is as essential as its current extraction methods are controversial. The most common criticism is the extraction of this raw material from salt marshes in South America, which contributes to environmental destruction. Western experts and business representatives are also increasingly concerned about dependence on China — both in terms of ore extraction and its further processing, on which China today has a virtual monopoly.
The monopolistic position of the Middle Kingdom on this market however, it may soon become history.
Where are lithium deposits located in the US?
What methods of lithium mining are used in South America?
How many tons of lithium are in McDermitt Caldera?
How long is the Nevada lithium mine expected to operate?
Millions of tons of lithium in the US. They will be enough to produce billions of electric cars
Nearly two years ago, geologists discovered in the American McDermitt Caldera – a huge crater on the border of Nevada and Oregon – gigantic lithium deposits, which were allegedly created as a result of the supervolcano eruption about 16 million years ago. Conservative estimates say 20-40 million tons of lithium.
According to an article in the scientific journal “Science Advances”, there may be hidden beneath the surface of this uninhabited region in the northwestern United States up to 120 million tons of this raw material.
For comparison, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the largest known deposits of lithium are located in Bolivia (21 million tonnes), Argentina (19 million tonnes) and Chile (9.8 million tonnes). However, the most lithium in 2022 was mined not in Bolivia or Argentina, but in Australia: 61,000. tons, i.e. almost half of world production. The next places are taken by Chile (39 thousand tons), China (19 thousand tons) and Argentina (6.2 thousand tons).
“Endless resources” McDermitt Calder's lithium would be enough to produce billions of electric cars. This means that We are not at risk of a shortage of this raw material in the coming decades.
Easy access to raw materials. The lithium mine is expected to operate for 50 years
Moreover, unlike South America, where lithium is extracted by pumping salt water to the surface, evaporating it in large tanks and further processing the remaining lithium carbonate – hence the name “white gold” — in Nevada and Oregon, lithium occurs in a highly concentrated form near the surface. Just scrape off the layers of clay with excavators, dissolve the ore in water and treat it with sulfuric acid. An almost pure lithium solution is obtained from the resulting brine.
Despite protests from ecologists and local residents the mining company Lithium Americas began preparations for the construction of a huge open pit three years ago at McDermitt Caldera. The American automotive concern General Motors invested approximately USD 700 million (approx. PLN 2.5 billion) in this project, ensuringexclusive access to lithium mined in northern Nevada for years. In total, the mine is expected to produce lithium carbonate for almost 50 years.
