Geothermal Lithium
Discussion
Lithium prices have rocketed lately and there's been speculation about the impact on EV costs, possible resource constraints, etc.. So an article on Euractiv caught my eye - it's about extracting lithium from underground reservoirs as a by-product of geothermal projects. There seems to be substantial potential:
"Vulcan Energy is in the process of building five geothermal power plants in the Upper Rhine Valley, above one of the world’s richest reserves of lithium in geothermal brine.
Together, these would represent the largest lithium reserves in Europe, at 15.85 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent, Kreuter said. The extracted raw lithium will then be sent to a nearby central refinery, where it will be converted to lithium hydroxide and be delivered to battery and automobile factories across Europe.
By 2025, Vulcan Energy plans to extract emission-free 40,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide from the Upper Rhine Valley – enough to supply batteries for the equivalent of about one million cars per year.
Once the plants are up and running, Vulcan Energy could support 100% of the battery industry in Germany – or 25% of the expected demand in Europe, Kreuter continued."
Here's the article:
https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/news/lithi...
Similar moves are underway at Cornish geothermal projects with aims to start producing Lithium by the end of next year.
"Vulcan Energy is in the process of building five geothermal power plants in the Upper Rhine Valley, above one of the world’s richest reserves of lithium in geothermal brine.
Together, these would represent the largest lithium reserves in Europe, at 15.85 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent, Kreuter said. The extracted raw lithium will then be sent to a nearby central refinery, where it will be converted to lithium hydroxide and be delivered to battery and automobile factories across Europe.
By 2025, Vulcan Energy plans to extract emission-free 40,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide from the Upper Rhine Valley – enough to supply batteries for the equivalent of about one million cars per year.
Once the plants are up and running, Vulcan Energy could support 100% of the battery industry in Germany – or 25% of the expected demand in Europe, Kreuter continued."
Here's the article:
https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/news/lithi...
Similar moves are underway at Cornish geothermal projects with aims to start producing Lithium by the end of next year.
kambites said:
Evanivitch said:
I think this will suffer the same issue as fracking gas. It's only economically viable if the price is high and stays high. The site will shutdown if/when the price plummets and markets are typically volatile. There's lots of lithium out there, just a question of who turns on the taps.
Isn't the whole point that the brine is a by-product of the geothermal plant anyway? Unless you think the value of "heat" is going to plummet? Gassing Station | EV and Alternative Fuels | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff