USGS Finds Enough Lithium in the Carolinas to Last Centuries

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Written by Daniel Graeber for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

The volume of lithium oxide in the Carolinas is enough to make laptop batteries for the next 600 years. But the United States is still playing catch-up with the likes of Australia and China.

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USGS Sees Lithium Trove in Own Backyard

Parts of the Carolinas hold an estimated 1.43 million metric tons of lithium oxide, which the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said was enough to replace more than 200 years of U.S. imports, based on last year's level.

According to Industrial Info Resources data, there are 62 active capital lithium mining projects in the U.S., with a total investment value of nearly $45 billion. These include projects in North Carolina such as the Piedmont Lithium Mine, Concentrator & Hydrometallurgical Plant in Bessemer City. Detailed reports on the Piedmont projects can be found in the Industrial Info Resources Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Metals & Minerals Project Database.

Prior to the boom in lithium demand, mines in North Carolina that drew on lithium extraction from pegmatites, a rock similar to granite, closed in the 1990s when production shifted to lower-cost alternatives such as mining from dried lakebeds as lithium is often associated with brine deposits, according to the USGS. Up until the 1990s, lithium was used mostly as a lubricant and in ceramics.

The USGS reported last week that with the advancement of modern computing technology, world lithium production grew more than 40 times in the last 30 years. In a paper published in the journal Natural Resources Research, the USGS estimated there's enough undiscovered lithium oxide in the southern Appalachians, concentrated in the Carolinas, to replace 201 years of U.S. imports.

"The United States was the dominant world producer of lithium three decades ago when North Carolina's lithium mines were active, and while the USGS is assessing many other lithium resources, this research highlights the abundant domestic potential." USGS Director Ned Mamula said Thursday.

That much lithium, the USGS estimated, would be enough for 110 billion laptops, which works out to be a 600-year supply based on year-ago levels. Another analogy is that it's enough to provide batteries to accommodate 36 cell phones for every person on earth.

U.S. Trying to Play Catch-Up

The United States is lagging globally on lithium development, with Australia the world leader in production. China is second, but it accounts for the majority of the global lithium refining operations, as well as consumption.

U.S. President Donald Trump has worked to build the domestic lithium sector through various executive actions, which last year backed development of the Rhyolite Ridge project in Nevada.

Australian energy company Ioneer is planning a facility in Nevada that would include a plant capable of yielding more than 20,600 tons per year of lithium carbonate, which in turn could yield enough lithium for 370,000 electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

Ioneer believes Rhyolite Ridge holds about 360 million tons of net deposits, including 3.4 million tons of lithium carbon equivalent and 14.1 million tons of boric acid equivalent. Collectively, that estimate is some 145% greater than the previous estimate from 2020.

Trump in February announced a $12 billion, public-private partnership to procure and stockpile critical minerals for civilian uses, such as for automotives, mobile devices, advanced manufacturing, aerospace applications and renewable energy.

So-called critical minerals cover about 60 minerals, including aluminum, copper, lead, magnesium, nickel, phosphate, silver and zinc, all widely used in modern industrial applications.

Key Takeaways

• U.S. is far behind the pack in lithium.
• Demand is rising exponentially amid smart tech boom.

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About Industrial Info Resources
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, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 Trillion (USD).