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On 30 January 2024, Jindalee Lithium Limited (Jindalee, the Company) lodged its December 2023 Quarterly Activities Report, which summarised activities undertaken at the Company’s 100% owned McDermitt Lithium Project located in Oregon, USA (Project)1. McDermitt is currently the largest lithium deposit in the USA by contained lithium in Mineral Resource and is a globally significant resource with the potential to supply lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) to US supply chains for decades2 (Table 1).
- Grant applications lodged with two US Government agencies (Defense and Energy) with strong support from state politicians, agencies and potential industry partners.
- Substantial Government funding for US critical mineral projects continues.
Jindalee is pleased to provide an update on US government funding opportunities for McDermitt.
Grant applications lodged with two US Government agencies (Defense and Energy)
Jindalee advises that the Company has lodged applications for non-dilutive grant funding with both the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Energy (DoE) (Battery Manufacturing and Recycling Grant).
If successful, the DoD grant application is expected to co-fund an accelerated Feasibility Study and associated drilling and testwork, whilst the DoE grant application is designed to potentially co-fund the engineering, procurement, construction and development of a lithium processing facility at McDermitt.
Both grant applications have passed initial reviews by the agencies. The DoE grant application was accompanied by letters of support from Oregon and Nevada politicians and agencies, as well as potential Project partners.
The Company expects to provide updates regarding the status of applications and any potential award decision in the second half of 2024.
Substantial Government funding for US critical mineral projects continues
The US Government is committed to securing a domestic supply for critical minerals to reduce reliance on foreign sourced materials, including lithium, and is providing significant support and funding via the Inflation Reduction Act, the Defense Production Act and other initiatives as recent developments indicate.
On 14 March 2024 Lithium Americas Corp (TSX: LAC, Market Cap: C$1.5bn6) announced that it had received a conditional commitment from the DoE for a US$2.26 billion loan for financing the Phase 1 construction of processing facilities at the Thacker Pass Lithium Project3, located approximately 30km south of McDermitt (Figure 1). The loan, anticipated to cover approximately 75% of Thacker Pass’s initial capital cost, offers favourable terms with an interest rate equivalent to the US Treasury rates (0% spread) and a tenor of 24 years.
On 8 April 2024 Perpetua Resources Corp (TSX: PPTA, Market Cap: C$538m6) announced that it had received a Letter of Interest from the US Export-Import Bank for potential debt of up to US$1.8 billion for capital funding of the Stibnite Gold and Antimony Project in Idaho, USA4. This follows earlier grants of up to US$59.4 million received by Perpetua Resources from the DoD to assist with construction readiness and permitting of the Stibnite Project5.
Jindalee’s CEO Ian Rodger commented “We are very pleased with the progress of our grant applications for the McDermitt Lithium Project, particularly with the strong backing we’ve received from key stakeholders, including US politicians and potential Project Partners. The support for our applications highlights the strategic importance of our Project and its alignment with US national interests. These non-dilutive grants, if successful, promise to significantly enhance equity returns, reinforcing our strategy and amplifying the value we deliver to our shareholders.
Table 1 – Summary of 2023 McDermitt Mineral Resource Estimate at the reporting cut-off of 1,000ppmNote: totals may vary due to rounding. (Lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) is calculated by taking the lithium value and multiplying by 5.323 to determine the molar equivalent in standard industry fashion).
Figure 1 – McDermitt Caldera: Location of McDermitt and Thacker Pass projects
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This article includes content from Jindalee Lithium Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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Jindalee Lithium
Overview
Jindalee Lithium (ASX:JLL,OTCQX:JNDAF) is an Australia-based exploration and development company advancing North America’s largest lithium deposit. After a spinout of its Australian assets, Jindalee has become a pure-play lithium company focused exclusively on its promising 100-percent-owned McDermitt project. Jindalee recognises the vast opportunity for lithium projects in the US as the country progresses towards its sustainable energy transition and developing a robust domestic supply chain for critical minerals.
As the US strives to transition to clean energy, demand for lithium will continue to increase as this critical mineral is necessary to achieve the country’s net-zero goals. With its favorable mining policies and infrastructure, the US actively supports the advancement of new projects to strengthen its domestic supply chain.
Jindalee’s McDermitt asset, located in southeast Oregon, contains a unique type of lithium mineralisation. Most lithium projects in North America are lithium brine or pegmatite deposits; however, the McDermitt project is an unconventional sediment-hosted lithium asset.
Sediment-hosted lithium deposits such as McDermitt are long-life assets with low strip ratios and low mining costs. Jindalee can leverage this advantage over other lithium assets, both in terms of reaching production faster and reducing operating expenses.
There is currently no commercially operating sediment-hosted lithium project in North America. Two recently announced projects, however, are under development and demonstrate McDermitt’s future trajectory as both companies move toward production.
The 2023 mineral resources estimate (MRE) for McDermitt contains a combined indicated and inferred mineral resource inventory of 3 billion tons at 1,340 parts per million (ppm) lithium for a total of 21.5 million tons (Mt) lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) at 1,000 ppm cut-off grade. At 21.5 Mt LCE, McDermitt is the largest lithium deposit in the US by contained lithium in mineral resource, and a globally significant resource, with the deposit remaining open to the west and south.
In June 2023, Jindalee commenced a pre-feasibility study (PFS) on the McDermitt Lithium Project appointing Fluor Corporation as lead engineer. The company expects completion of the PFS by mid-2024. Jindalee also announced initial metallurgical results from acid leaching of the beneficiated samples of McDermitt ore. Lithium extraction from composite samples averaged 93 percent (250 micron (µm)) and 94 percent (75 µm) while lithium extraction from all units exceeded 98 percent with higher acid additions.
An experienced management team, with the right blend of experience and expertise in geology, corporate administration and international finance, leads Jindalee to fully capitalise on the potential of its assets.
Company Highlights
- Jindalee Lithium is a pure-play lithium exploration and development company focusing on its flagship McDermitt lithium project, currently the largest lithium deposit in North America.
- The United States has ambitious electrification goals but lacks the critical minerals to reach them. Jindalee aims to strengthen the North American supply chain to enable the country to reach net-zero emissions targets.
- Globally, most of the lithium is currently sourced from either pegmatite or lithium brine deposits. The company’s McDermitt deposit, however, is sediment-hosted, an emerging style of lithium deposit with the potential to be a long-life, low-cost source of lithium.
- There are presently no sediment-hosted lithium assets in North America that have reached production. Jindalee is ideally positioned to help fill this void in the market.
- Other companies in North America are moving towards production, and their progress indicates Jindalee’s future trajectory.
- An experienced management team leads Jindalee towards capitalising on the potential of its assets.
Key Project
McDermitt Lithium Project
The McDermitt Project is located in Malheur County on the Oregon-Nevada border and is approximately 35 kilometres west of the town of McDermitt. The 100-percent-owned asset covers 54.6 square kilometres of claims at the northern end of the McDermitt volcanic caldera. Following positive results from its 2022 drill campaign, the resource at McDermitt has increased to 21.5 Mt LCE, making McDermitt the largest lithium deposit in North America.
Project Highlights:
- Rare Sediment-hosted Lithium Deposits: The McDermitt asset supports low-cost mining operations due to its flat-lying sediments. This type of lithium deposit is amenable to low-cost mining operations, while still producing excellent metallurgical results.
- Resource Increased by 62 percent early 2023: Compilation of the 2022 drilling results saw the estimated indicated and inferred resources at McDermitt increase to 3 billion tons at 1,340 ppm lithium, a 62 percent increase in contained lithium. The updated resource released by the company contains a combined indicated and inferred total of 21.5 Mt LCE at 1,000 ppm cut-off grade.
- Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with POSCO Holdings: Jindalee entered into an MOU with POSCO Holdings (NYSE:PKX), under which POSCO will fund metallurgical testwork on McDermitt ore and undertake joint research for the asset. POSCO is partnering with General Motors to supply cathode active material (including lithium) for its electric vehicles.
- Fluor recommended processing route: In March 2023, US engineering group Fluor reviewed all testwork undertaken at McDermitt and recommended beneficiation and acid leaching as the optimal processing route.
- Highly encouraging metallurgical testwork: Results from beneficiation and acid leaching tests have exceeded expectations. Beneficiation testwork completed in late 2023 (on sample representing a nominal life-of-mine average feed) recovered 92 percent of the lithium to leach feed and rejected 25.3 percent of the mass at a cut size of 250 µm. Additionally the acid leach test work announced in early 2024 demonstrated very high lithium extraction rates on beneficiated ore. Specifically, the calculated lithium extraction for a composite sample using 250 µm leach feed was 92.9 percent which compares favourably with the extraction rate (94 percent) achieved through testwork from the finer (75 µm) leach feed using 500 kg/t acid. Further testwork is now underway.
- PFS in progress: Jindalee has appointed Fluor Corporation to commence the PFS for McDermitt, set to be completed by mid-2024.
Management Team
Ian Rodger - Chief Executive Officer
Ian Rodger is a qualified mining business executive with almost 15 years of experience in various roles including as a mining engineer for Rio Tinto across two large greenfield mine developments, before successfully transitioning into mining corporate finance where he held Executive and Director positions at RFC Ambrian overseeing origination and management of numerous mandates across a range of corporate advisory roles. Rodger was the project director for Oz Minerals (ASX:OZL) where he made significant contributions to successfully define the value potential of the West Musgrave nickel/copper province through the delivery of a portfolio of growth studies. Most notably, he led technical, market and partnership development workstreams, successfully confirming value potential for producing an intermediate Nickel product for the battery value chain.
Rodger holds a Bachelor of Mining Engineering from the University of Queensland, a Masters of Mineral Economics from Curtin University and is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Lindsay Dudfield - Executive Director
Lindsay Dudfield is a geologist with over 40 years of experience in multi-commodity exploration, primarily within Australia. He held senior positions with the mineral divisions of Amoco and Exxon. In 1987, he became a founding director of Dalrymple Resources NL and spent the following eight years helping acquire and explore Dalrymple’s properties, leading to several greenfield discoveries. In late 1994, Lindsay joined the board of Horizon Mining NL (Jindalee Lithium’s predecessor) and has been responsible for managing Jindalee Lithium since inception. Lindsay is a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, the Geological Society of Australia and the Society of Economic Geologists. He is also a non-executive director of Jindalee spin-out companies Energy Metals (ASX:EME), Dynamic Metals (ASX:DYM) and Alchemy Resources (ASX:ALY).
Wayne Zekulich - Non-executive Chair
Wayne Zekulich was appointed to the board as Chair on 1 February 2024. He holds a Bachelor of Business and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Zekulich is a consultant and non-executive director who has substantial experience in advising, structuring and financing transactions in the infrastructure and resources sectors. He was previously the head of Rothschild in Perth, chief financial officer of Gindalbie Metals Limited, chief development officer of Oakajee Port and Rail and a consultant to a global investment bank. Currently, he is chair of Pantoro Limited (ASX:PNR) and non-executive director of the Western Australian Treasury Corporation. In the not-for-profit sector, he is the past chair of the Lester Prize and is a mentor in the Kilfinan program.
Darren Wates - Non-executive Director
Darren Wates is a corporate lawyer with over 23 years of experience in equity capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, resources, project acquisitions/divestments and corporate governance gained through private practice and in-house roles in Western Australia. Wates is the founder and principal of Corpex Legal, a Perth-based legal practice providing corporate, commercial and resources related legal services, primarily to small and mid-cap ASX listed companies. In this role, he has provided consulting general counsel services to ASX listed company Neometals (ASX:NMT) since 2016, having previously been employed as legal counsel of Neometals. Wates holds Bachelor's degrees in Law and Commerce and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment.
Paul Brown - Non-executive Director
Paul Brown has over 23 years of experience in the mining industry, most recently with Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) where he was chief executive – lithium, and chief executive – commodities. Brown has held senior operating roles with Leighton, HWE and Fortescue (ASX:FMG) and has a strong track record in technical leadership, project/studies management, and mine planning and management. Brown is currently CEO of Hastings Technology Metals (ASX:HAS). He holds a Master in Mine Engineering.
Brett Marsh - VP Geology and Development (US)
Brett Marsh is an AIPG certified professional geologist and a registered member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) with over 25 years of diverse mining and geological experience. He has worked for and held senior leadership roles for Kastan Mining, Luna Gold, Kiska Metals, Newmont, Freeport-McMoRan, Phelps Dodge, ASARCO and consulted to deliver numerous NI 43-101 technical reports. Marsh has demonstrated the ability to deliver results in culturally diverse and geographically difficult environments, such as Brazil, Peru, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, Indonesia, Australia, and has also worked in remote areas of Alaska. He has managed all phases of the mining lifecycle including greenfield and brownfield exploration, project development (including preliminary economic assessments, pre-feasibility and feasibility), project construction, mine operations, and environmental. He successfully led multi-cultural teams to develop business processes and implementation plans for many mine development and operational projects.
Carly Terzanidis - Company Secretary
Carly Terzanidis has 20 years of prior experience in the financial services industry, having been employed by Euroz Hartleys, DJ Carmichael and Shaw and Partners. Terzanidis’ recent experience has been in corporate services and in the role of company secretary for resources-focused entities. Terzanidis acts as company secretary for Alchemy Resources (ASX:ALY), Kalamazoo Resources (ASX:KZR) and Viridis Mining and Minerals (ASX:VMM). Terzanidis holds a Bachelor of Commerce with majors in Accounting and Corporate Administration and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance.
Yalgoo Fieldwork Commences Over Main Target Areas
HIGHLIGHTS
- Fieldwork commenced at the Yalgoo lithium projects
- Large scale soil and rock chip sampling program underway
- First phase to test main ML targets with almost 1000 soil samples to be collected
- Proximate to known lithium occurrences
The two projects are located within the northern part of the Yalgoo-Singleton greenstone belt (YSGB) in the Murchison province. Both sequences are typical greenstones consisting of submarine tholeiitic and high-Mg basalt lava flows, large intrusive gabbro bodies overlain by BIF and volcanic rocks with minor ultramafic and felsic rocks. The greenstone belt is intruded and bounded by granitoids, predominantly granodiorite and monzogranite to tonalite with minor syenogranite. Pegmatites associated with the granites are recognised throughout the project area and especially along the granite greenstone contacts.
Tectonically the greenstone is bounded by major faults and shear zones, with the major Mulloo and Wagga Wagga Shear Zones on the eastern contact covered by the Yalgoo project and the major Salt River Shear Zone covered by the Yalgoo West project. Premier1 (utilising SensOre ML technology) identified a large, predicted lithium target within a region not previously highlighted for its lithium exploration potential. During target analysis lithium mineralised LCT pegmatites were identified by a number of adjoining companies, including Firetail Resources and Zenith Minerals, validating the emerging potential of the area for LCT pegmatites.
At Yalgoo, the predicted target forms a large cluster of Li prospectivity that was previously unidentified and untested representing lithium potential over the northern portion of the greenstone belt. Additionally, the eastern portion of the project is prospective for VMS copper and zinc. At Yalgoo West another cluster of Li prospectivity predicted unidentified and untested lithium potential over the western portion of the greenstone belt.
The greater Yalgoo project area encompasses two joint ventures. In the eastern portion of the project area (Yalgoo), Premier1 has the rights to earn up to 70% of all commodities except Rare Earth Elements in a farm-in announced on 12 May 2023 with Venture Minerals (ASX:VMS). In the western portion of the project area (Yalgoo West), the Company is in a farm in with Firetail Resources (ASX:FTL) where Premier1 may earn 80% of lithium rights by spending announced 7 November 2023..
The next steps on the broader Yalgoo project involve extensive target delineation activities to generate drilling targets for the second half of 2024.
Figure 1: Regional geological map of the greater Yalgoo project area including identified ML targets.
Figure 2: Planned first phase soil samples over greater Yalgoo project area.
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This article includes content from Premier1 Lithium, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Fully-Permitted Drilling Program to Test Priority Gold, Silver and Lithium Targets at Corvette River in Quebec
Metals Australia has received all required permitting approvals for a major new drilling and trenching program. This fully-funded program will test new high-grade gold and silver targets and priority lithium bearing (LCT) pegmatite targets at the Company’s Corvette River Project.
The Project is along strike and on a parallel belt to Patriot Battery Metals’ world-class Corvette Lithium Project1 on the prolific Lac Guyer greenstone belt in the tier-one global mining jurisdiction of Quebec, Canada (see Figure 1).
High-Grade Gold with Silver and Copper Targets (see Figure 1 for locations):
- East Eade Gold Target on the Corvette South Trend, where previous rockchip sampling2 across a 300m wide complex fold-closure, never before drill-tested, included assays of up to 29.7 g/t gold (Au) and 12 g/t Au2 (see Figure 2).
- West Eade Gold Target on the Corvette South Trend (see Figure 3), which produced historical assays of up to 11.45g/t Au2 and more recent rockchip sampling results including 3.37 g/t Au over 3m2.
- Felicie Gold-Silver-Copper Target on the Corvette Trend (see Figure 1), where previous rockchip sampling produced grades of up to 4.16 g/t Au, 44.1 g/t silver (Ag) and 0.23% copper (Cu)2 from a zone of 180m strike-length open in all directions, and never before drill-tested.
Priority Lithium Pegmatite Targets (see Figure 1 for locations):
- CR1 Lithium-Caesium-Tantalum (LCT) Pegmatite3 which has been mapped over a 1.6km strike- length and across a 100m thick zone within the Company’s Felicie tenements. CR1 is located on the Corvette (CV) Lithium Trend, 2.5km west of the Patriot Battery Metals’ (ASX: PMT) CV9 pegmatite, which includes a 100m drill-intersection of spodumene-bearing pegmatite4 (Figure 1).
- CS1 LCT Pegmatite5 which produced high lithium results of 370ppm Li and 290ppm Li from the only two first-pass samples collected from the outcropping coarse-grained LCT pegmatite, located on the western side of the West Eade property (Figure 1). The two samples are located 44m apart on a north-south section, which indicates a more than 40m thick pegmatite zone, which remains open to both the east and west.
Figure 1: MLS’s Corvette River Project - key gold & lithium targets with proposed drilling on geology and magnetics
Metals Australia CEO Paul Ferguson commented:
“We are delighted to have received all necessary approvals to advance this priority drilling and trenching program at our Corvette River Project, which is located within one of Canada’s most prospective lithium, gold, and base metals regions.
In addition to the highly-prospective lithium pegmatite targets we have identified analogous to Patriot Battery Metals’ world-class Corvette Trend lithium deposits, we have also identified multiple new high- grade gold and silver target zones based on our geological team’s extensive re-interpretation of previous rockchip sampling results and magnetics. Significantly, these high-grade targets are located along Quebec’s highly-endowed Lac Guyer greenstone belt which, apart from the Corvette lithium discovery, also hosts many significant gold and silver deposits including Newmont Corp’s ~215,000 ounce per annum Eleonore gold mine6.
With the permitting now in place, Metals Australia is in the final stages of operational planning, budgeting, and contracting with our full-service exploration contractor, Magnor Exploration, to commence the drilling and trenching program as soon as possible.
I’d like to acknowledge the great work of the team at Magnor for working diligently with all required stakeholders, including members of the Cree First Nations community and the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MRNF) to apply, consult and achieve permit approvals as quickly as they have. This has all occurred in a positive and collaborative manner and we are now looking forward to demonstrating our credentials as a responsible explorer.
Supported by the Company’s extensive cash reserves, the initiation of the Corvette River drilling and trenching program is a further demonstration of the board’s strategy to accelerate exploration and development across its suite of assets in Canada and Australia in the wake of the recent strategic workshops to identify our next development project after the Lac Rainy graphite project. In addition to Corvette River and Lac Rainy, we expect to provide further announcements over the Quarter regarding plans we are finalising to unlock value from our other exploration assets, which we believe will provide catalysts for a valuation re-rating of Metals Australia shares, which are trading well below cash backing.”
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This article includes content from Metals Australia Ltd, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Where Does Tesla Get its Lithium? (Updated 2024)
In a mid-2023 Tesla earnings call, Musk seemed relieved to see prices for the battery metal had declined. “Lithium prices went absolutely insane there for a while,” he said. Lower battery prices will bring EVs closer to cost parity with internal combustion engines vehicles, leading to wider adoption and increased demand.
Most lithium mining happens in Australia from hard-rock sources and in Chile from brines. But lithium refining is dominated by China, which currently accounts for more than 75 percent of global lithium processing capacity.
Read on to learn more about where Tesla gets its lithium, how much lithium is in a Tesla battery and what the EV maker is doing to better secure its lithium supply chain.
Which lithium companies supply Tesla?
Tesla has deals with multiple lithium suppliers, some of which are already producing and some that are juniors developing lithium projects.
At the end of 2021, Tesla inked a lithium supply deal with top lithium producer Ganfeng Lithium (OTC Pink:GNENF,SZSE:002460). Under the agreement, the Chinese company began providing products to Tesla for three years starting in 2022. Major miner Arcadium Lithium (NYSE:ALTM) also has supply contracts in place with the EV maker, and China’s Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group (SZSE:002497) agreed to supply battery-grade lithium hydroxide to Tesla through 2030.
The company also holds deals with junior miners for production that is yet to come on stream. Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR,OTC Pink:LINRF) is set to supply Tesla with lithium spodumene concentrate from its AU$473 million Kathleen Valley project. The deal is for an initial five year period set to begin this year, and production is currently expected to begin in mid-2024.
In January 2023, Tesla amended its agreement with Piedmont Lithium (ASX:PLL,NASDAQ:PLL), which is now set to supply the US automaker with spodumene concentrate from the past-producing North American Lithium operation — a project Piedmont is developing with Sayona Mining (ASX:SYA,OTCQB:SYAXF).
Even though Tesla has secured lithium from all these companies, the EV supply chain is a bit more complex than buying lithium directly from miners. Tesla also works with battery makers, such as Panasonic and CATL (SZSE:300750), which themselves work with other chemical companies that secure their own lithium deals.
What are Tesla batteries made of?
Tesla vehicles use several different battery cathodes, including nickel-cobalt-aluminum (NCA) cathodes and lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cathodes.
Tesla is known for using NCA cathodes developed by Japanese company Panasonic (OTC Pink:PCRFF,TSE:6752). This type of cathode has higher energy density and is a low-cobalt option, but has been less adopted by the industry compared to the widely used nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cathodes. Aside from that, South Korea's LG Energy Solutions (KRX:373220) supplies Tesla with batteries using nickel-cobalt-manganese-aluminum (NCMA) cathodes.
As mentioned, it wasn’t just lithium that saw prices climb in 2021 — cobalt doubled in price that same year, and although it has declined since then, the battery metal remains essential for many EV batteries. Most cobalt mining takes place in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is often associated with child labor and human rights abuses, fueling concerns over long-term supply.
That said, not all Tesla’s batteries contain cobalt. In 2021, Tesla said that for its standard-range vehicles it would be changing to lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cathodes, which are cobalt- and nickel-free. At the time, the company was already making vehicles with LFP chemistry at its factory in Shanghai, which supplies markets in China, the Asia-Pacific region and Europe.
In April 2023, Tesla announced that it planned to use this type of cathode chemistry for its short-range heavy electric trucks, which it calls "semi light." The company is also looking to use LFP batteries in its mid-sized vehicles.
At the top of this year, Tesla made moves to produce LFP batteries at its Sparks, Nevada battery facility in reaction to the Biden Administration's new regulations on battery materials sourcing, especially on those sourced from China. Reuters reports Tesla battery supplier CATL will sell idle equipment to the car maker for use at the plant, which will have an initial capacity of about 10 gigawatt hours.
What company makes Tesla’s batteries?
Tesla works with multiple battery suppliers, including Panasonic, its longtime partner, as well as LG Energy Solutions, the second largest battery supplier in the world. They supply the EV maker with cells containing nickel and cobalt.
China's CATL has been supplying LFP batteries to Tesla for cars made at its Shanghai plant since 2020. It’s also been reported that BYD Company (OTC Pink:BYDDF,SZSE:002594) is supplying Tesla with the Blade battery — a less bulky LFP battery — which the car manufacturer has used in some of its models in Europe.
How much lithium is in a Tesla battery?
How much lithium do Tesla batteries actually contain? That question is tricky because many factors are at play. Typically, it depends on battery chemistry, as demonstrated by the chart below, as well as battery size.
For example, the standard Tesla Model S contains about 138 pounds, or 62.6 kilograms, of lithium; it is powered by a NCA battery which has a weight of 1,200 pounds or 544 kilograms.
The amount of lithium in a Tesla battery can also vary based on model and year as the battery chemistries and weights are often changing with each new iteration. For example, the newer Tesla Model S Long Range reportedly contains as much as 771 pounds, or 350 kilograms, of lithium.
Back in 2016, Musk said batteries don't require as much lithium as they do nickel or graphite — he described lithium as "the salt in your salad." As the chart below shows, the metal only makes up about a 10th of the materials in each battery.
Metal content of battery chemistries by weight.
Chart via BloombergNEF.
But a key factor to remember is volume — given the amount of batteries Tesla needs to meet its ambitious goals, it could hit a bottleneck if it can’t secure a steady supply of raw materials. Of course, this is true not just for Tesla, but for every carmaker producing EVs today and setting targets for decades to come.
For that reason, demand for lithium-ion batteries is expected to soar in the coming years. By 2030, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence forecasts that demand will grow by 400 percent to reach 3.9 terawatt-hours. Over the same forecast period, the firm sees the current surplus in the lithium supply coming to end.
Where is Tesla's lithium refinery?
Tesla broke ground on its in-house Texas lithium refinery in the greater Corpos Christi area of the state last year. Tesla's lithium refinery capacity is expected to produce 50 GWh of battery-grade lithium per year. Musk said in late 2023 that construction of the lithium refinery would be completed in 2024, followed by full production in 2025.
Will Tesla buy a lithium mine?
For carmakers, securing lithium supply to meet their electrification goals is becoming a challenge, which is why the question of whether they will become miners in the future continues to come up.
But mining lithium is not easy, and despite speculation, it's hard to imagine an automaker being involved in it, SQM’s (NYSE:SQM) Felipe Smith said. “You have to build a learning curve — the resources are all different, there are many challenges in terms of technology — to reach a consistent quality at a reasonable cost,” he noted. “So it's difficult to see that an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), which has a completely different focus, will really engage into these challenges of producing.”
Even so, OEMs are coming to the realization that they might need to build up EV supply chains from scratch after the capital markets' failure to step up, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence’s Simon Moores believes. Furthermore, automotive OEMs that are making EVs will in effect have to become miners.
“I don't mean actual miners, but they are going to have to start buying 25 percent of these mines if they want to guarantee supply — paper contracts won't be enough,” he said.
However, last year Musk made it clear to investors that Tesla is more focused on developing its lithium refining capabilities, rather than getting into the mining game.
This is an updated version of an article first published by the Investing News Network in 2022.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
Top 9 Lithium-producing Countries (Updated 2024)
Manufacturers commonly use lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide in these batteries rather than lithium metal. Lithium-ion batteries also include other important battery metals, such as cobalt, graphite and nickel.
As demand for lithium continues to rise, which countries will provide the lithium the world requires? The latest data from the US Geological Survey shows that the world’s top lithium-producing countries are doing their best to meet rising demand from energy storage and EVs — in fact, worldwide lithium production rose sharply from 2022 to 2023, coming in at 180,000 metric tons (MT) of lithium content last year (not including US production), compared to 146,000 MT in 2022.
What are the top lithium-producing countries?
Australia, Chile and China were the top three lithium countries in 2023, and Brazil and Zimbabwe rose significantly in the ranks. Read on for an overview of global lithium production by country. As the EV lithium-ion battery market continues to grow, it’s likely these countries will vie for larger roles in supplying the metal in the years to come.
1. Australia
Mine production: 86,000 MT
Kicking off this lithium production by country list is Australia, which produced 86,000 MT of lithium last year, up from 74,700 MT the year before. Following that increase, it's likely the country's lithium production will see a decline in 2024 as demand for EVs has stalled in the current slowing economic climate, leading to much lower lithium prices. In fact, Australia's lithium miners have already begun to curb production rates.
Who owns Australia's largest lithium mines? The Greenbushes lithium mine in Western Australia is operated by Talison Lithium, a subsidiary that is jointly owned by miners Albemarle (NYSE:ALB), Tianqi Lithium (OTC Pink:TQLCF,SZSE:002466) and IGO (ASX:IGO,OTC Pink:IPDGF). Greenbushes has been in operation for over a quarter of a century, making it the longest continuously running mining area in the state. Mount Marion, a joint venture between Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN,OTC Pink:MALRF) and Ganfeng Lithium (OTC Pink:GNENF,SZSE:002460,HKEX:1772), is another key lithium mine in Australia. The mine is located in the Yilgarn Craton, southwest of Kalgoorlie.
Australia also holds over 4.8 million MT of identified JORC-compliant lithium reserves, which puts it behind Chile. It is worth noting that most of the country’s lithium supply is exported to China as spodumene.
2. Chile
Mine production: 44,000 MT
Lithium miners in Chile increased the nation's output from 38,000 MT of lithium in 2022 to 44,000 MT last year, making it the second top lithium producer in the world. Unlike Australia, where lithium is extracted from hard-rock mines, Chile’s lithium is found in lithium brine deposits.
The Salar de Atacama salt flat in Chile generates roughly half the revenue for SQM (NYSE:SQM), a top lithium producer. The Salar de Atacama is also the home of another top lithium brine producer — US-based Albemarle.
In April 2023, market participants and lithium miners were surprised by the Chilean government's plans to nationalize the lithium industry. While ultimately it wasn't a true nationalization, the country is moving to gain controlling stakes in lithium assets in the Salar de Atacama and Maricunga through its state-owned mining company Codelco.
SQM has signed an arrangement with Codelco that will allow it to continue operations in the Salar de Atacama until 2060. The two companies will create a new entity for the operations, with Codelco owning 50 percent plus one share of the company. Albemarle recently agreed to a deal that will give it the option to raise its production quota by meeting certain conditions. In March 2024, Chile also opened over two dozen other salt flats for private investment.
3. China
Mine production: 33,000 MT
China came third for lithium production in 2023, beating fourth place Argentina significantly. The Asian country saw its lithium supply grow to 33,000 MT last year from 22,600 MT the year prior.
China is the largest consumer of lithium due to its electronics manufacturing and EV industries. It also produces more than two-thirds of the world’s lithium-ion batteries and controls most of the world’s lithium-processing facilities. China currently gets the majority of its lithium from Australia, but it is looking to expand its capacity.
In January of this year, China announced the discovery of a massive million-metric-ton lithium deposit in the country's Sichuan Province. However, China's lithium production capacity is unlikely to increase much in 2024 as slowing EV demand in the country has in turn dampened demand for lithium.
4. Argentina
Mine production: 9,600 MT
Lithium producer Argentina’s output ticked up by 3,010 MT from 2022, with the nation putting out 9,600 MT in 2023.
It’s well known that Bolivia, Argentina and Chile make up the Lithium Triangle. Argentina’s Salar del Hombre Muerto district hosts significant lithium brines, and its reserves are enough for at least 75 years.
At present, lithium mining in the country consists of two major brine operations currently in production and 10 projects that are in development. Analysts at consultancy firm Eurasia Group project that Argentina’s lithium production has the potential to grow approximately tenfold by 2027, as per CNBC.
One of the largest lithium miners in Argentina is Arcadium Lithium (ASX:LTM,NYSE:ALTM), the result of the January 2024 merger of Livent and Allkem. The new entity is the third largest lithium producer in the world.
5. Brazil
Mine production: 4,900 MT
Lithium production in Brazil has taken off in the last several years, catapulting it onto the list of the top lithium-producing countries. After achieving output of 400 MT or less from 2011 to 2018, the country’s production hit 2,400 MT in 2019. Brazil saw another significant jump last year, when its lithium output rose by 2,270 MT over 2022's 2,630 MT.
Brazil's government plans to invest more than US$2.1 billion by 2030 into expanding the nation's lithium production capacity. At the state level, in 2023 the Minas Gerais government launched the Lithium Valley Brazil initiative, which is aimed at promoting investment in lithium mining. The program includes four publicly listed lithium companies with assets in the state's Jequitinhonha Valley: Sigma Lithium (TSXV:SGML,NASDAQ:SGML), Lithium Ionic (TSXV:LTH,OTCQX:LTHCF), Atlas Lithium (NASDAQ:ATLX) and Latin Resources (ASX:LRS,OTC Pink:LRSRF).
6. Zimbabwe
Mine production: 3,400 MT
Zimbabwe's lithium output has grown exponentially in a short space of time. Just a few years ago, in 2021, the African nation's output came in at only 710 MT. As of 2023, that figure has grown by 378 percent to reach 3,400 MT of the battery metal. Total reserves in Zimbabwe stand at 310,000 MT, as per the US Geological Survey.
In December 2022, Zimbabwe banned the export of raw lithium in an effort to build out the nation's capacity to process battery-grade lithium domestically. The ban excludes companies that are already developing mines or processing plants in Zimbabwe. Lithium concentrate is now on track to become Zimbabwe's third biggest mineral export, behind gold and platinum-group metals, reported Reuters in November 2023.
Lithium-producing countries in Africa have attracted much attention from Chinese firms in recent years, especially Zimbabwe. Sinomine Resource Group (SZSE:002738), for example, bought a stake in Zimbabwe's emerging lithium industry with the purchase of the Bikita mine, the African nation's oldest lithium mine.
Zimbabwe's other key lithium mines include Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt's (SHA:603799) Arcadia mine and state miner Kuvimba Mining House’s Sandawana mine. A few other advanced lithium projects reached the pilot plant production stage in 2022 and 2023: Premier African Minerals' (LSE:PREM) Zulu lithium-tantalum project; Chengxin Lithium's (SZSE:002240) Sabi Star lithium-tantalum mine; and Lonosphere Investment's open-pit mine in Mataga Mberengwa. Pilot plant stage production is not typically included in total global lithium supply estimates.
6. Canada
Mine production: 3,400 MT
Canada's lithium production for 2023 was on par with Zimbabwe's 3,400 MT. The North American nation substantially increased its production of the battery metal with a rise of more than 553 percent from the previous year.
While Canada is home to a wealth of hard-rock spodumene deposits and lithium brine resources, much of it remains underdeveloped. In an effort to grow a strong North American lithium supply chain for the battery industry, the government has invested in a number of lithium projects, including C$27 million for E3 Lithium (TSXV:ETL,OTCWX:EEMMF), a lithium resource and technology company, and C$1.07 million to Prairie Lithium.
Taking it further, in November 2023, the Canadian government launched the C$1.5 billion Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund. The fund seeks to address gaps in the infrastructure required for the sustainable development of the nation’s critical minerals production, including battery metals like lithium.
Canada's efforts were rewarded in early 2024, when BloombergNEF gave the nation the top spot in the fourth edition of its Global Lithium-ion Battery Supply Chain Ranking.
8. Portugal
Mine production: 380 MT
Portugal's lithium production dropped by two-thirds in 2022, coming in at 380 MT compared to 900 MT in the previous year. For 2023, the European nation's lithium output remained at 380 MT. The dramatic decline is attributed to public backlash against the environmental impact of lithium mining.
Most of Portugal's lithium comes from the Gonçalo aplite-pegmatite field. Despite this lithium-producing country’s comparatively low output, Portugal’s lithium reserves stand at 60,000 MT.
9. United States
Mine production: withheld
In the final place on this top lithium-producing countries list is the US, which has withheld production numbers to avoid disclosing proprietary company data. Its only output last year came from two operations: a Nevada-based brine operation, most likely in the Clayton Valley, which hosts Albemarle’s Silver Peak mine, and the brine-sourced waste tailings of Utah-based US Magnesium, the largest primary magnesium producer in North America.
There are a handful of major lithium projects underway in the US, including Lithium Americas’ (TSX:LAC,NYSE:LAC) Thacker Pass lithium claystone project, Piedmont Lithium’s (ASX:PLL,NASDAQ:PLL) hard-rock lithium project and Standard Lithium’s (TSXV:SLI,OTCQX:STLHF) Arkansas Smackover lithium brine project.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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