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Lithium Valley

This article is about the geothermal, mining, and processing area at the Salton Sea. For the geographical valley, see Imperial Valley.

Lithium Valley is an area adjacent to the Salton Sea in Southern California, United States, with enormous deposits of lithium. Due to increased demand for lithium, which is a crucial component for batteries used for electric cars and energy storage, the area is attracting attention, and the extraction of lithium is expected to boost the economy of Imperial County. The area is exceptionally well-suited due to the ability to mine the lithium while generating geothermal power. There are already 11 geothermal power plants utilizing the Salton Sea Geothermal Field.[1]

Lithium Valley
Map
Coordinates: 33°11′10″N 115°33′30″W / 33.18611°N 115.55833°W / 33.18611; -115.55833
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyImperial County
MegaregionSouthern California
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)

Lithium production

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The geothermal activity below the Salton Sea loosens up lithium that can be mined.[2] The California Energy Commission estimates the Salton Sea might produce 600,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate (Li
2CO
3) per year,[3] of a reserve of 3.4 million tonnes.[4] The Salton Sea geothermal brine reservoir is located at depths of approximately 0.62 to 1.86 miles (1 to 3 km) below ground and contains fluids at temperatures ranging from 250 °C to 380 °C. Among other valuable minerals, the brine contains lithium (202 ppm ± 20% , i.e. more than in the Dead Sea, which is 30-40 ppm), rubidium (110 ppm ± 47%), cesium (19.8 ppm ± 15%), and bromine (91 ppm ± 31% vs 5000 ppm in the Dead Sea).[5] The lake also comprises chloride, sodium, calcium, potassium, and other low-value minerals that are difficult to separate.[6] All these minerals add up to the total salinity of 24.3 ± 2.8%.

The Lithium Valley Commission was created under the California Energy Commission in September 2020 to explore and expand the emerging lithium recovery industry.[7]

Projects

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In 2016, the Australian firm Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) announced plans to build a 140 MW geothermal power plant and a lithium extraction facility capable of producing 15,000 tons (13,600 tonnes) by 2023 and 75,000 tons (68,000 tonnes) by 2027. The company hopes to create a major new domestic source of the mineral.[8][9] General Motors announced a strategic partnership with CTR in 2021 to secure a local supply of lithium. The majority of the battery-grade lithium hydroxide and carbonate for the Ultium battery will come from this plant.[10]

Controlled Thermal Resources is developing a combined lithium extraction and power generation facility in the Hell's Kitchen geothermal field employing a closed-loop process. Brine will be extracted from the ground, with geothermal steam being used to drive a turbine generating electricity, and reacting with the brine to separate the lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate used for battery production.[11][12]

Berkshire Hathaway Energy has a subsidiary that operates 10 geothermal plants in the area.[13] Berkshire's BHE Renewables division plans to open a lithium carbonate pilot plant.[6][14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bernick, Michael (December 12, 2023). "The Jobs Perplex Of The Lithium Valley". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  2. ^ Fernández, Caleb J. (August 31, 2021). "Lithium fuels hope for Salton Sea". KYMA. Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 4, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  3. ^ Alistair MacDonald and Jim Carlton. (February 8, 2022). "Where Is There More Lithium to Power Cars and Phones? Beneath a California Lake.". Wall Street Journal Archived May 21, 2023, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  4. ^ Ferry, Tim (November 29, 2023). "'Once in a generation' | US confirms huge lithium deposits in California's Salton Sea". Recharge | Latest renewable energy news. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  5. ^ Characterizing the Geothermal Lithium Resource at the Salton Sea. . 2023-11-22. LBNL Report. 350. P. Dobson, Araya, N., Brounce, M., Busse, M.M., Camarillo, M.K., English, L., Humphreys, J., Kalderon-Asael, B., Mckibben, M.A., Millstein, D., Nakata, N., O'sullivan, J., Planavsky, N., Popineau, J., Renaud, T., Riffault, J., Slattery, M., Sonnenthal, E., Spycher, N., Stokes-Draut, J., Stringfellow, W.T., White, M.C.A. . https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4x8868mf Archived January 24, 2024, at the Wayback Machine .
  6. ^ a b Scheyder, Ernest (October 5, 2022). "U.S. steps away from flagship lithium project with Buffett's Berkshire". Reuters. Archived from the original on December 2, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  7. ^ Olalde, Mark (September 30, 2020). "Gov. Gavin Newsom signs off on new commission to study Salton Sea lithium extraction". The Desert Sun. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  8. ^ "Lithium will fuel the clean energy boom. This company may have a breakthrough". Los Angeles Times. October 14, 2019. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  9. ^ "California needs clean energy after sundown. Is the answer under our feet?". Los Angeles Times. January 22, 2020. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  10. ^ Cohen, Ariel (July 26, 2021). "General Motors Moves To Secure Its Own Critical Mineral Supply Chains". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  11. ^ Abuelsamid, Sam (July 2, 2021). "GM Invests In Controlled Thermal Resources For U.S. Lithium Production". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 4, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  12. ^ Dunn, Jason. "GM changes strategy in the scramble for secure battery and chip supply". Automotive Logistics. Archived from the original on September 4, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  13. ^ James, Ian; Roth, Sammy (2017). "Salton Sea: Two paths for long-term fixes at California's shrinking sea". The Desert Sun. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  14. ^ Scheyder, Ernest (October 5, 2022). "U.S. steps away from flagship lithium project with Buffett's Berkshire". Reuters. Archived from the original on December 2, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
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