The U.S Department of Energy (DOE) is offering $12 million for projects that demonstrate the feasibility of extracting lithium from geothermal brine in order to boost domestic production of lithium batteries.
The agency announced the funding opportunity on Nov. 11, stating the funding is a "huge step forward" in strengthening the U.S.'s ability to produce battery-grade lithium. The announcement states that lithium is essential to the transition to clean energy, but is currently being produced almost entirely outside of the U.S., which "unfortunately creates a vulnerability in the domestic supply chain."
"From your smartphone to grid-scale energy storage, lithium batteries are a big part of our energy future,” DOE Sec. Jennifer Granholm posted to Twitter at the time. “So how do we ensure we have enough to meet demand? One clever solution: extract lithium from the brine in geothermal wells!"
Geothermal energy is produced by pumping geothermal brine, a hot saline fluid in the Earth's crust, to the surface to power turbines and generate electricity with natural heat, according to the DOE. The DOE reports that lithium can be extracted from geothermal brine in optimal, albeit rare, geologic conditions "with minimal waste and carbon pollution."
"There are only a few locations where this is possible in the United States," the DOE states. "California’s Salton Sea—which offers the greatest domestic potential for lithium extraction from brines—could produce 600,000 tons annually, according to initial estimates."
The funding will support Lithium Extraction and Conversion from Geothermal Brines research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) activities, according to the DOE. Funded projects will use field and applied research to demonstrate the viability and profitability of lithium extraction from geothermal brine to "improve current procedures and technologies and pave the way for a nationwide surge in lithium battery production," according to the DOE.
The DOE states the $12 million, from the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO), is one of many investments into exploring "America’s untapped potential for domestic lithium production." The administration of President Joe Biden has invested in the domestic production of rechargeable lithium batteries to meet increasing demand for consumer electronics, electric vehicles and grid-scale energy-storage systems, the DOE reports, including funding for mining for source materials.
Despite the investment in new lithium-production options, the administration has lagged in its approval of new mining permits, according to an August report by Greenwire. The article reports the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has approved 20 new mine applications during the Biden administration, despite the U.S. having "enormous potential" to produce the essential metals. The Greenwire article reports the decline in approvals is attributable to both more stringent environmental regulations and a marked drop in mining companies submitting application to mine on federal land.
“The actions we have seen from the administration have really been contrary to providing that domestic mineral production,” American Exploration and Mining Association executive chairman Mark Compton said in the article. “Right now, permitting is still creating an unfavorable environment for attracting mining investment in the United States."
China dominates the global supply chain for lithium, as well as other metals including cobalt, nickel and graphite, Greenwire states.
According to the American Geosciences Institute, federal laws governing domestic mining through environmental standards include the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1970, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976, the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1977, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1977, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980.
