Running Out of Lithium An inability to produce enough lithium would result in severe delays to the roll out and implementation of electric transport and renewable power – as such, it is fair to question whether there is enough of the prized element to meet global needs.
While the question of the supply of lithium for EV batteries is a valid one to raise, the abundant supply of lithium means it is unlikely that the world will ever run out of this vital resource.
In the long term, a large proportion of the raw materials used will be recycled – this would reduce the need for “new” lithium. However, this is unlikely to make itself felt until 2030, when used batteries will be returned in large quantities.
Lithium plays a critical role in much of what we do in our daily lives. In addition to EVs, lithium is an essential part of the technology that powers mobile phones, computers, power tools and battery storage of energy generated from wind and solar power.
The process of extracting lithium consumes significant amounts of water and energy, and lithium mining can pollute the air and water with chemicals and heavy metals. In addition, mining lithium can disrupt wildlife habitats and cause soil erosion, leading to long-term ecological damage.
Lithium mining does have an environmental impact, but it is no worse than oil drilling. This is especially true when you consider the carbon emissions produced from petroleum products during their usage, as compared to lithium-ion batteries that have little to no GHG emissions during their use.
As with all mining, there are concerns about lithium mines, but some experts overstate the potential environmental cost while neglecting to mention a big advantage: mining for lithium is much cleaner than mining for coal. Lithium is also much more efficient.
Bolivia. Bolivia has the highest identified lithium resources in the world with 20 million tonnes, as per the US Geological Survey data.
Tesla officially broke ground Monday on a Texas lithium refinery, making it the only U.S. automaker to refine its own lithium. CEO Elon Musk said the refinery will produce enough battery-grade lithium for 1 million electric vehicles by 2025, which would make Tesla the largest processor of lithium in North America.
Lithium is likely a micronutrient necessary for maintaining health that needs to be consumed in the human diet on a regular basis. For most individuals, adequate lithium intake is possible from a healthy diet that includes plenty of nuts, seeds, beans, vegetables and whole grains.
Researchers at Vienna University of Technology have developed an oxygen-ion battery based on ceramic materials that has a longer lifespan than lithium-ion batteries. The new battery can be regenerated and does not require rare elements, making it an ideal solution for large energy storage systems.
The rock dug out of the ground in Australia has to be crushed and roasted to produce spodumene. This material, which contains about 6% lithium, is then shipped from Australia to China, which refines 60% of the world's lithium and 80% of the world's lithium hydroxide – though this may be changing.
A typical EV battery has about 8 kilograms of lithium, 14 kilograms of cobalt, and 20 kilograms of manganese, although this can often be much more depending on the battery size – a Tesla Model S' battery, for example, contains around 62.6 kg (138 pounds) of lithium.
Li-ion batteries, or those contained in electronic devices, should therefore be recycled at certified battery electronics recyclers that accept batteries rather than being discarded in the trash or put in municipal recycling bins.
The Sun, for instance, has about a factor of 100 lower amount of lithium than the Earth.
Like other naturally occurring minerals, lithium is, unfortunately, a finite resource that comes with an energy-intensive mining process.
Who is the biggest lithium producer in Australia. Pilbara Minerals (PLS) is by far the biggest lithium mining company in Australia. Owning the world's largest hard-rock lithium operations, Pilbara produces over 377,000 metric tons of lithium every year.
For three years from 2025, Magnis Energy Technologies plans to supply Tesla with 17,500 tonnes of battery materials each year, with the US electric car-maker given an option to purchase up to 35,000 tonnes per annum if car production ramps up.
The report confirms Australia's status as the world leader in the production of five important commodities - bauxite, iron ore, lithium, rutile and zircon. In fact, we produced more than half of the world's lithium with record production in 2021, producing 55 kilotonnes compared to 40 kilotonnes the previous year.
Lithium is not mined in Russia, so self-sufficiency in this metal is a problem, dealing with which is high on the agenda. High demand for lithium is a global trend driven by the rapid development of electric vehicles, primarily in China.
China's position in downstream supply chains for the battery metal is even more dominant. The country only mines 13% of the world's lithium but controls 44% of global lithium chemical production, 78% of cathode production and 70% of cell manufacturing for the electric car industry, news agencies reported.
Lithium extraction inevitably harms the soil and causes air contamination. According to a report by Friends of the Earth (FoE), lithium extraction inevitably harms the soil and causes air contamination.
One of the main negative effects of lithium mining is the impact on water resources. Lithium mining requires large amounts of water, which can lead to water scarcity and strain on local water resources.
The common environmental side effects of lithium mining are water loss, ground destabilisation, biodiversity loss, increased salinity of rivers, contaminated soil and toxic waste. In the Salar de Uyuni, water loss is the main cause for concern.