Company Breaks Ground on Large Lithium Refinery in Oklahoma

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Stardust Power Incorporated (NASDAQ:SDST) (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) last week broke ground in Muskogee, Oklahoma, on what will be one of the largest standalone lithium refineries in the U.S. The refinery will be built in two phases and take advantage of nearby rail networks and particularly the Port of Muskogee on the Arkansas River.

Stardust acquired the 66-acre site that will house the lithium refinery last month, after an independent environmental review determined the property was suitable for the plant. While Stardust already has an expansion project on the books in its two-phase approach to construction, the company has the potential to expand further on an adjacent 40-acre tract on which it has first refusal.

The site is near the Port of Muskogee, and the facility will receive its lithium brine from barges on the Arkansas River, using the same waterway to ship out battery-grade lithium carbonate. The facility will use a unique refining technology known as vacuum membrane distillation that uses hydrophobic membranes to separate out lithium, with high-quality distilled water as a byproduct. This water could be passed along to companies extracting the lithium as part of the direct lithium extraction (DLE) washing process, rather than their tapping nearby bodies of water.

The plant will be built in two phases. The first phase will lead to a production line capable of 25,000 metric tons per year. This could potentially be completed in 2028, depending on how soon structural construction begins. After completion of this line, Stardust plans to construct a second production line, doubling annual production to 50,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium. This line could potentially start operating in 2031. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the related project reports.

Another lithium refinery is planned for a mine site in near Tonopah, Nevada, where American Battery Technology Company (ABTC) (Reno, Nevada) is planning both an extraction and refining facility. ABCT will use a selective lithium extraction (SLE) process that will pull the metal from concentrations found in the area's sedimentary claystone. ABTC will employ open-pit mining techniques to obtain the lithium-bearing claystone, and the lithium carbonate will be refined to battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate at the onsite refinery.

The refinery itself will be built in two phases, the first of which will be a demonstration project that received a grant from the Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office in 2021. The pilot plant aims to produce 5,000 tons of lithium hydroxide monohydrate per year. Construction on this plant could kick off in 2027 and, along with the mine, be completed in 2028. If ABTC's demonstration plant proves successful, the company will expand the refinery to produce 33,000 tons per year of battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate. The full-scale plant could be ready in early 2031. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the related project reports.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).