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Fossil fuel giant Exxon is betting its U.S. lithium performance will power a new generation of galvanic vehicles .
The U.S. has C of thousands of tons of “ recoverable ” lithium , which could go to use in battery for cars , handhelds and renewable energy warehousing , a2021 U.S. Geological Surveysaid . Yet , the commonwealth hasjust onecommercial - scale leaf lithium minelaying internet site today , in Nevada — flow by chemical substance manufacturer Albemarle .
The Biden administration is pushing for more atomic number 3 mine — despiteopposition from indigenousandenvironmentalgroups — and now Exxon is committing to drill it out of the primer coat in Arkansas . In doing so , Exxon is potentially challengingTesla — which is work on extracting lithium from clay in Texas .
Numerous startups are also work on lithium extraction . Lilac Solutions , for example , want to pull lithiumfrom the Great Salt Lakein Utah . There ’s alsoGM - backed EnergyX , which promote $ 50 million in April to “ unlock ” Li in North America .
On Monday , Exxonstatedthat it take to set forth producing lithium in 2027 . The company said the “ potential client ” it ’s tattle with includeelectric fomite and bombardment makers . By the get-go of the next decade , Exxon destine to produce “ enough lithium to append the manufacturing need of well over a million electron volt per year . ”
Exxon executive director Dan Ammann told CNBC that the conglomerate want to “ get in early ” on domesticated lithium mining . Exxon wasfirst to lithium - ion assault and battery productionin the 70s , yet it bailed on the business organization quickly , because it did not see its potential to surmount .
atomic number 3 is a crucial component in modern batteries , which in bit power the switch to renewable energy sources and electric vehicles .
Ammann said in a command that Exxon ’s direct lithium extraction tech will come with “ far few environmental impacts than traditional minelaying operations . ” However , direct lithium extractionstill pose environmental danger , admit high freshwater consumption .
More broadly speaking , Argentine researchers warn in a 2023 paper that ecosystems around “ lithium deposits are extremely delicate and link in a solid food chain in which ecosystem services are crucial for livestock and rural universe . ”
