Economy SoCal's Imperial Valley To Become "Lithium Valley" After Massive 18-Million Tons Reserve Found Under The Dying Salton Sea.

[Arkain2K]

Study: Salton Sea has enough lithium to make more than 375 million EV batteries​

Southern California site could reduce U.S. dependence on lithium imports from China and South America.​

By Brooke Staggs | [email protected] | Southern California News Group | November 28, 2023

The mineral-rich stew bubbling thousands of feet beneath the shores of Southern California’s Salton Sea contains one of the largest lithium deposits in the world, with enough of the valuable metal to make batteries for more than 375 million electric vehicles, according to a long-awaited analysis published Tuesday.

“It’s pretty exciting how much is there,” said Michael McKibben, a geology research professor from UC Riverside who worked on the 371-page report commissioned by the Department of Energy.

Since there are fewer than 300 million vehicles on the road in the United States today, the study suggests there’s ample lithium in this remote desert outpost to help replace every gas-guzzler in the country with an emission-free EV. That should allow us to eventually halt problematic lithium imports from South America and China, which McKibben said would boost U.S. energy security as we push toward President Biden’s goal of making 50% of vehicles electric by 2030.

That could also leave enough lithium to allow the United States to become an exporter of a metal that’s viewed as key to decarbonizing economies around the world.

But that hinges on the success of three companies — Berkshire Hathaway, EnergySource and Controlled Thermal Resources — that have been working for years on plans to extract lithium from the area’s geothermal field in a cost-efficient, eco-friendly way.

Those companies’ timelines for starting commercial lithium production at the Salton Sea all have been nudged back multiple times. But Rod Colwell, chief executive of Controlled Thermal Resources, said the new report “confirms much larger lithium reserves than originally thought,” which he said “will no doubt assist with financing” to keep his company’s lithium plant project moving forward.

Carlsbad-based EnergySource expects to break ground early next year on the area’s first full-scale lithium extraction plant. McKibben said he’s hopeful that we’ll then start to see commercial production from these companies in 2028 — the same year global demand for lithium is projected to exceed supply.

Lithium’s capacity to quickly charge, recharge and transfer lots of energy has, over the past 30 years, made it the primary component in batteries that run everything from laptops to cell phones to EVs. But just 1% of lithium used in the U.S. is now sourced domestically, all from a single site in Nevada.

Most of the world’s raw lithium comes from Australia and South America, where it’s extracted via hard-rock mining or massive evaporation pools — both of which pose environmental problems. Typically, that material is then shipped to China or other far-away places to be made into lithium ion batteries, which are then sent to automaker factories.

That’s why the U.S. government in 2021 declared lithium a “critical mineral,” meaning its extraction is important to national security. And it set aside money to boost both domestic lithium production and battery manufacturing, including funding to pay for this study to quantify for the first time just how much lithium is in the geothermal field around the Salton Sea.

To get at that number, McKibben said his team — which is run through the energy department’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, with help from four UC Riverside professors and others from around the world — first looked at how much lithium is in extracted brine. That’s around 200 parts per million. They then assessed the size of area’s entire geothermal brine reservoir. From there, McKibben said simple calculations suggest the Salton Sea region could produce more than 3,400 kilotons of lithium.

There’s actually a glut of lithium right now, which McKibben attributed largely due to EV sales plummeting in China amid that country’s depressed economy. But he said supplies are expected to run short in another five to seven years, which should drive prices up just in time for the Salton Sea plants to start coming online. And those facilities hopefully can scale to meet domestic demand, with the research firm Atlas Public Policy predicting EV sales in the U.S. will top 1.3 million this year.

The study also offered some encouraging news about how lithium extraction might impact regional water resources, air quality, emissions and seismic activity.

Lithium will be extracted through geothermal plants, which drill down thousands of feet to bring the Salton Sea’s boiling brine to the surface, then use the steam it generates to turn clean-energy turbines and produce electricity. Eleven such plants — 10 run by Berkshire Hathaway and one by EnergySource — have been operating in the area as energy producers for up to 40 years. But now, instead of sending all of that brine back into the earth, those companies and newcomer Controlled Thermal Resources plan to extract lithium and other valuable minerals.

Since the companies plan to piggyback on their geothermal plants and use that energy to power their lithium extraction operations, McKibben said they won’t be creating new emissions.

Water use is still a concern, though McKibben said companies can recapture some through condensation from the steam. And he said EnergySource is reportedly recycling 80% of the fresh water it’s using.

There has been an increase in seismic activity since companies started producing geothermal energy in the area four decades ago. But the report states that increase appears to have leveled off, and McKibben said his team doesn’t have major concerns about lithium extraction triggering a large earthquake.

“These investigations highlighted the need to proceed with good monitoring and verification systems and with appropriate mitigation technologies,” the report states. “However, the analysis illustrates that if these things are done properly, lithium development is not likely to create significant negative environmental impacts.”

Study: Salton Sea has enough lithium to make more than 375 million EV batteries

A new report suggests there’s ample lithium in this Southern California desert outpost to help replace every gas-guzzler in the country with an emissions-free EV.

www.pressenterprise.com

 

[Arkain2K]

The Salton Sea has even more lithium than previously thought, new report finds ​

By Sammy Roth, Columnist | Nov. 28, 2023

Want to produce a huge amount of lithium for electric vehicle batteries — and also batteries that keep our homes powered after sundown — without causing the environmental destruction that lithium extraction often entails?

Then the Salton Sea may be your jam.

Companies big and small have been swarming California’s largest lake for years, trying to find a cost-effective way to pull out the lithium dissolved in scorching hot fluid deep beneath the lake’s southern end. Now a new federal analysis suggests even more of the valuable metal is buried down there than we previously understood.

The new analysis — led by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and reported here for the first time — finds we may be able to extract 18 million metric tons of “white gold” from the heated underground pool, which is not connected to the surface lake. That’s the first thoroughly documented public estimate of how much lithium is available at the Salton Sea, said Alex Prisjatschew, an engineer with the U.S. Department of Energy, which funded the analysis — and it’s higher than past guesses.

“It’s going to be roughly the equivalent of 382 million electric vehicle batteries,” Prisjatschew told me.

There are fewer than 300 million cars and trucks registered in the United States today. So yeah, that’s a big deal.

Right now, the Salton Sea is best known as an environmental disaster in the making. As fossil fuels heat the planet, water levels have fallen at Lake Mead, forcing farmers in California’s Imperial Valley to limit their use of Colorado River water. The result has been less irrigation runoff flowing into the Salton Sea, causing the desert lake to shrink. Fierce winds are increasingly picking up toxic dust from the drying lakebed and blowing it into the air breathed by Imperial Valley residents.

But for all the lake’s problems, it’s a clean energy mecca. For decades, companies have tapped into the hot water deep beneath the Salton Sea’s southern end to generate geothermal electricity, a climate-friendly power source available 24 hours a day.

With lithium, the Salton Sea area could become an even more central player in efforts to stem the climate crisis.

The Imperial Valley is far from the only place where the silvery white metal can be found. But extraction efforts in other parts of the country — such as Nevada’s Thacker Pass and Utah’s Great Salt Lake — have faced pushback from conservation activists and Native American tribes over their potential to destroy wildlife habitat, gobble up scarce water and desecrate sacred sites.

At the Salton Sea, environmental experts have found relatively little to worry about.

“Across the board, it’s a much more environmentally friendly way to extract lithium,” Prisjatschew said.

Several companies are racing to profit off that resource, aided by state and federal funds. San Diego-based EnergySource, which runs a geothermal plant at the Salton Sea, signed a contract earlier this year to sell lithium to Ford Motor Co. A few months later, Australian startup Controlled Thermal Resources won an investment of more than $100 million from Stellantis — the automaker behind Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles — to fund its efforts to generate geothermal electricity and produce lithium.

Meanwhile, billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy — which owns 10 of the 11 existing geothermal power plants at the Salton Sea — has been trying for years to develop a profitable technique for lithium extraction.

The new analysis adds to the case for continued state and federal investment in the region.

The Salton Sea has even more lithium than previously thought, new report finds

But we shouldn't count on the desert lake to solve all our climate and clean energy problems.

www.latimes.com

 

[fedorthegoat777]

15M tons is A LOT, more than anyone else on last year's top list: Chile had the biggest reserves with 9.5M tons, followed by Australia with 5.7M tons, Argentina with 2.2M tons, and China with 1.5M tons.

Before this discovery, we were at #5 with less than 1M ton, but unfortunately 75% of our reserve are near tribal lands and face strong opposition from the native tribes, who understandably don't want to see their ancestral neighborhood be desecrated and turned into industrial mines, and so our entire country currently only have one functioning lithium mine in Silver Peak, Nevada, which produce less than 1% of the world's lithium supply - not even enough for our own domestic use.

This should give you an idea of the lithium market in recent years:

2021:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/lithium-battery-production-country-top-183050554.html

2022:
https://www.kitco.com/news/2023-02-...thium-producing-countries-in-2022-report.html

Currently, the world's total annual lithium production is 130,000 metric tons:

Currently, Australia is the #1 lithium producer, supplying half of the global demand with 61,000 metric tons a year.

The bad news is China went on a buying spree and gulp up mining rights for whatever lithium mines they can find around the world from 2012 til now.

They currently control 60% of the world's lithium refining capacity, and need not worry about the lithium supply for the fast-growing electric vehicles market:

Australia may produce the most from their mines, but 90% of Australia's lithium gets shipped off directly to China:

Another fun fact: Back in 1995, the U.S sat at the top of the chart and produced more than a third of the world's lithium supply, much more than our own needs. Now, we account for less than 1% with only 900 tons produced a year.

That means we have to buy the rest of the supply we need from other countries, mostly from South America.

That will change soon.

We've finally found a massive reserve that is not anywhere near tribal lands or important drinking water supply, with political support from all levels of federal, state, and regional governments, as well as the local community for industrial development. Now we need to get started on building the infrastructure to extract the stuff ASAP.

If this new discovery is handled in a swift and efficient manner, the U.S can get our lithium crown back in a few years - or at the minimum be self-sufficient again in our lithium supply chain. The dirt-poor Imperial Valley would become one of the richest regions in the country. The nearly-dead Salton Sea finally got a lifeline. The best part is China doesn't have a stake in any of this.

Since current projection shows the global lithium demands will rise to 1.5 million tons in 2025 and double again to 3 million tons in 2030, I have no doubt there will be several DLE plants built here in the future, because the new Directly Lithium Extraction process for brine water extracted from the ground is much more environmentally-friendly than ore processing and doesn't need much water, it is insanely profitable thanks to the geothermal energy plant right next door, and the demands for lithium will continues to skyrocket worldwide as electric vehicles becomes the norm.

Lastly, even if we are once again the biggest lithium producer in the world with, say, 100,000 tons a year, it would still take 150 years before this 15,000,000 tons lithium mine runs dry.

Someone's getting rich

 

[Arkain2K]

Someone's getting rich

Fortunately, the county is smart enough to cover their bases, so the mining corporations wouldn't be the only ones reaping the windfalls.

Exploring the economic impacts and needs for the Imperial Valley at the lithium stakeholder's meeting​

by Courtney Miller | Nov 4, 2023​

The Lithium Stakeholder's Meeting held in the Imperial Valley brought together a diverse group of community members, government officials, industry representatives, and stakeholders from various sectors. This meeting aimed to discuss the economic impacts and needs associated with the development of geothermal lithium resources in the region. The meeting was marked by insightful comments and suggestions from participants, including Rebecca Terrazas-Baxter, Assistant CEO of the County of Imperial, Fernanda, and Candace. Their comments shed light on the potential opportunities and challenges related to lithium extraction and how the community can benefit.

Rebecca Terrazas-Baxter provided a brief overview of the county's efforts to foster geothermal lithium development in the Imperial Valley. The journey began in 2021 when Chairman Ryan Kelly initiated a working group that included representatives from the public and private sectors, local government, and the community. This diverse group aimed to discuss the potential developments associated with lithium extraction and gather information from various stakeholders.

In 2022, the County of Imperial introduced the Lithium Valley Economic and Investment Opportunity Plan. This plan acted as a roadmap to guide the county, various departments, and state and federal legislators in supporting and incentivizing lithium extraction and development in the region. Simultaneously, a Salton Sea Renewable Resources Area Specific Plan was initiated to further the development of renewable energy projects.

The passage of SB 125 in 2023 established a lithium excise extraction tax, which allocated 80% of the tax revenue to the county and 20% to the state for various purposes, including restoration projects at the Salton Sea. The tax revenue, coupled with grants, was earmarked for community engagement, health impact assessment, and stakeholder engagement.

The Lithium Stakeholder's Meeting discussed the utilization of this tax revenue and sought input from the community on the allocation of funds. Participants emphasized several key areas of focus, including workforce development, green spaces, and healthcare.

A list of percentage-based allocations was presented for the tax revenue, emphasizing the importance of local community sharing. This allocation prioritized directly and indirectly impacted communities, infrastructure, environmental justice, early childhood education, and development, healthcare, and violence prevention. The proposal sought to ensure that the local community's needs and priorities were adequately addressed.

One citizen emphasized the need for improved transportation services, particularly to outlying areas like Bombay Beach. It was stressed the importance of medical services and recreational spaces that cater to both the younger and senior populations. Many highlighted the necessity of balancing these services to ensure that all community members, including high school students aspire to go to college, and had access.

The open table discussion allowed participants to express their thoughts and concerns about the community's needs and how the tax revenue could be allocated to address them. One essential point raised was the need to understand the specific requirements of industries coming into the region and to work on satisfying those needs in advance. By proactively identifying the industries' needs, the community can prepare for growth and development more effectively.

Infrastructure was a prominent topic, with an understanding that it extended beyond just roads and bridges. Broadband access and other essential services were also part of the infrastructure discussion. Participants emphasized the importance of ensuring equitable access to the internet, especially after the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Lithium Stakeholder's Meeting in the Imperial Valley provided a platform for the community to voice its opinions and share ideas on how to utilize the tax revenue generated from lithium extraction. The meeting highlighted the significance of addressing the needs of the local community, including workforce development, green spaces, better healthcare, and infrastructure improvements.

While the allocation of funds is a complex and ongoing process, this meeting demonstrated the commitment of the county and its stakeholders to engage the community in shaping the future of the Imperial Valley. As development continues, this collaborative approach will be essential in ensuring that the economic impacts of lithium extraction benefit the region as a whole and that the community's needs are met.

Exploring the economic impacts and needs for the Imperial Valley at the lithium stakeholder's meeting

The Lithium Stakeholder's Meeting held in the Imperial Valley brought together a diverse group of community members, government officials, industry representatives, and stakeholders from various sectors. This meeting aimed to

www.thedesertreview.com

 

[Arkain2K]

Report details rich lithium deposits in Imperial County ​

By Thomas Fudge / Science and Technology Reporter
Contributors: Charlotte Radulovich / Video Journalist
Published December 1, 2023

​

Politicians have been calling the Imperial Valley "Lithium Valley" for a while, and a new report for the U.S. Department of Energy supports that slogan.

The report outlines the scope of Imperial Valley’s rich lithium deposits, which are suspended in scalding hot brine water that flows below the surface near the Salton Sea. Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia represents California's 36th District, which covers Imperial County. He said the report was good news for the valley and the nation.

“To help achieve our climate goals, our renewable energy goals, and our ability to become self-sufficient and independent from foreign nations when it comes to these critical minerals being developed and deployed,” Garcia said.

According to the report by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, there are an estimated 18 million metric tons of raw lithium waiting to be mined in Imperial County. That’s enough to make 375 million electric car batteries.

In 2024, San Diego-based EnergySource Minerals plans to start building a $1 billion plant to extract and process the lithium. CEO Eric Spomer said the DOE report was no surprise to him and he thinks it’s accurate enough.

But he calls the projected numbers “aggressive” and said the report didn’t consider the challenge of extracting the lithium.

“I do think there’s a lot of lithium there. I think there’s a lot of geothermal power there. I think the possibility that it’s all recoverable is a little bit maybe aggressive,” Spomer said.

Spomer said EnergySource Minerals would build a plant that uses a new process called direct lithium extraction. The plant will funnel underground brine water to the surface. There it’ll be pushed through a filter that catches the lithium. The water is then pumped back below to the water table.

Spomer said the report described lithium deposits so plentiful that they will be hard to deplete.

“We’ll be depleting some,” he said. “But the reservoir is so big that you won’t see it in the life of a single project like ours.”

The EnergySource plant is expected to operate for 30 years and, the company estimates, extract 20,000 tons of battery-grade lithium each year.

Spomer said the Inflation Reduction Act had incentivized the construction of battery plants in the United States, so Imperial County lithium won’t need to go offshore to be processed.

“We’ve got to give credit to the Inflation Reduction Act for keeping that stuff onshore. I don’t think it was the only incentive, but it was a big one,” Spomer said. “Because it’s given us domestic places to sell the lithium so we don’t have to ship it to Korea or Japan or, heaven forbid, China.”

EnergySource Minerals now has an agreement with Ford Motor Company to supply the company with lithium. Spomer said Ford was planning to build several plants to make lithium batteries.

Report details rich lithium deposits in Imperial County

A new report for the U.S. Department of Energy comes as no surprise, andd underlines the value of Imperial Valley lithium for electrifying the country’s cars.

www.kpbs.org

 

[Arkain2K]

Hell’s Kitchen Lithium Extraction Project Gets Green Light​

Controlled Thermal Resources’ Geothermal Plant to Produce Up to 49.9 Megawatts and Up to 20,000 Metric Tons of Lithium​

By Delfino Matus and Richard Montenegro Brown on December 15, 2023

Controlled Thermal Resources’ Hell’s Kitchen project west of Niland would reportedly produce enough lithium to develop 5 million electric vehicle batteries a year — enough EV batteries to eliminate 1.95 billion gallons of gasoline used and 23 metric tons of emissions annually, CTR’s Rod Colwell said earlier this year.

The loquacious Aussie and the company’s chief executive officer said this in March as Gov. Gavin Newsom used CTR’s small-scale operation as the backdrop of a press conference touting Imperial County’s status as the source of the nation’s coming supplier of the critical mineral in Lithium Valley.

On Wednesday, Dec. 13, CTR took a huge leap in moving its projects forward when the company received approvals from the Imperial County Planning Commission on eight resolutions tied to the development of Hell’s Kitchen’s geothermal plant and lithium extraction facility.

The commission conducted a public hearing on the resolutions regarding Controlled Thermal Resources Inc. via its subsidiary, Hell’s Kitchen Geothermal LLC’s proposed Hell’s Kitchen Power Company 1 (geothermal) and Hell’s Kitchen Lithium Company 1 (direct lithium extraction) projects. The resolutions were for water supply assessment, the final environmental impact report, the mitigation monitoring and reporting program, conditional-use permits and consideration of variance.

The geothermal plant proposes to produce up to 49.9 megawatts of “thermal green energy.” The project includes cooling towers up to 40 feet and 230-kilovolt “gen-tie” structures up to 120 feet, according to CTR. Gen-tie transmission lines are those that connect the original source of power generation to the transmission system.

The lithium operation proposal was to develop mineral extraction and processing facilities capable of producing lithium hydroxide, silica, bulk sulfide and polymetallic products for commercial sale. A mitigation monitoring and reporting program for mitigation measures has been incorporated into the project to reduce or avoid significant effects on the environment, according to CTR’s proposal. This program will be designed to ensure that these measures are carried out during project construction and operation, CTR states. The project features include cooling towers up to 50 feet, silos up to 60 feet, evaporator structures up to 80 feet and crystallizers up to 110 feet.

The project’s plants and facilities will be located on undeveloped land owned by the Imperial Irrigation District, which is about 3.6 miles southwest of Niland on 16 parcels. The project’s plant facilities would be built on about 65 acres, including a gen-tie line.

The projects would produce approximately 20,000 metric tons of lithium and would demand an estimated 6,500 acre-feet of water, according to CTR’s proposal. Both of these projects would have shared facilities.

Not all that much was said about the lithium extraction process, and maybe the Planning Commission meeting wasn’t the place. But in the past, CTR CEO Colwell has described the Hell’s Kitchen extraction process as a closed-loop system that doesn’t release any carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

“After two years of research last month, we published a report together with Comite Civico del Valle, examining the potential environmental impacts of lithium extraction here in the Imperial Valley. I am not against Lithium Valley; I think Imperial has an opportunity to do this the right way, but unfortunately the environmental impact report for Controlled Thermal Resources’ Hell’s Kitchen Project is very clearly not the right way. I am here to comment in solidarity with concerned residents here in the Valley,” said Jared Naimark, California organizer with Earthworks, an environmental justice organization dedicated to preventing the destructive impacts of the extraction of oil, gas and minerals.

“We have reviewed the final EIR and are concerned that it remains inadequate to properly disclose, analyze and mitigate the significant environmental impacts that the project required. I ask that the commission not certify,” Naimark said.

“There is a lot of concern on the use of water. We are especially concerned with the use of water as our neighbor geothermal outfits are. We try to use water as sparingly as we can. We actually have a mandate within our company of looking at our use of water, looking at how many times we can reuse a gallon of water. How little water we can use in this process knowing that water is a precious commodity especially here in the Imperial Valley,” said Jim Turner, president of Controlled Thermal Resources.

“It is very unusual that there are no project alternatives at all, and I find that lacking. The project still fails to consider several other projects that are in the area for cumulative impacts. Energy projects, geothermal, solar as well as restoration projects,” Dr. James Blair said.

The next phase in the development wasn’t yet known following Wednesday’s meeting. In March, however, CTR’s Colwell revealed that on the labor front the Hell’s Kitchen project is expected to produce more than 10,000 jobs over the course of its development and use project labor agreements between contractors and trade unions.

Controlled Thermal Resources is said to have entered a $1.4 billion deal with Fuji Electric Corp. of America to complete the construction of the Hell’s Kitchen plant and potentially build five more at the site near Niland, it was reported earlier this year.

Colwell was one of several speakers who addressed the gathered crowd during Gov. Newsom’s visit in March.

Hell’s Kitchen Lithium Extraction Project Gets Green Light - Calexico Chronicle

CTR took a leap forward when the company received approvals from the Imperial County Planning Commission on eight resolutions.

calexicochronicle.com

 

[Arkain2K]

County holds public meeting updating residents on Lithium Valley's progress​

By Alida V Rivera | Dec 17, 2023

EL CENTRO – The Imperial County Planning and Development Services Department held a presentation and meeting, Thursday evening, Dec. 13, concerning the latest news about Lithium Valley and its progress and development thus far. The Lithium Valley Specific Plan included a timeline presentation showing the estimated dates of each step the planning committee projected with details included.

The Lithium Valley project calls for the extraction of lithium found far below the crust near the Salton Sea. Governor Newsom passed a bill over the summer authorizing the State to financially assist the Imperial County in developing the project. Aside from extracting Lithium the plan calls for the creation of renewable energy facilities, mineral recovery, lithium battery manufacturing, and other renewable industries which would be allocated in a 51,786 acre area adjacent to the Salton Sea.

If the original plan remains unchanged, it will create 60,000 jobs besides construction. The Lithium Valley project was proclaimed during the meeting as a major step towards creating a more sustainable local economy for the Imperial County. The project would be key in supporting the nation's production of sustainable technologies, that according to the County are all foreign sourced, mainly by the nation’s adversaries.

While this plan purports financial and employment success for the Imperial Valley economy, many locals have expressed concerns on lithium’s production affecting the environment and the community. Indian reservations near the Salton Sea have had their tribal members and representatives speak out in concern on the lack of transparency on how the construction and extraction of Lithium could affect them and their residents.

A Heber resident asked the County if the Imperial Valley’s recent earthquakes could have been caused by the drilling and carving into the Earth for the Lithium extraction. The most repeated concern the residents at the meeting asked was how the air quality would be affected due to the mining. Another popular concern was how the lithium projects would degrade the quality of the water in the Salton Sea and the wildlife surrounding the Sea.

The public review for this project ends Jan 12, 2024, however several local Imperial County residents are requesting for the deadline to be extended so more studies can be done and the residents located close to the Sea can be assured that their quality of life would not be affected.

County holds public meeting updating residents on Lithium Valley's progress

EL CENTRO – The Imperial County Planning and Development Services Department held a presentation and meeting, Thursday evening, Dec. 13, concerning the latest news about Lithium Valley and its progress

www.thedesertreview.com

 

[Protectandserve]

Hopefully they can create some solid well paying jobs and get some solid American sourced lithium for all the EV madness going on.

 

[Michaelangelo]

Someone's getting rich

*richer

 

[Zankou]

I would also like to point out that the Salton Sea has excellent duck hunting. Went there for season opener this year. It was awesome.

 

[Teppodama]

South America's 'lithium fields' reveal the dark side of electric cars

Demand for lithium-ion batteries is unprecedented - but is mining the chemical harmful to the environment?

www.euronews.com

 

[RoastBeast]

Going green is the biggest scam going right now. It's just rich people shifting the pollution from out of your tailpipe, to out of sight, out of mind. It's just a sleight of hand to trick people into buying their products under the guise that they're better for the environment.

 

[Arkain2K]

Lithium Valley project among 22 EDA finalists​

Staff Report | Dec 21, 2023​

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), announced Wednesday the 22 finalists of the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (Recompete).

According to the EDA, the Recompete Pilot Program targets the hardest-hit and most economically distressed areas where prime-age (25-54 years) employment is significantly lower than the national average, to close this gap through flexible, locally-driven investments.

The list of finalists includes the Lithium Valley Recompete Plan, led by the San Diego Regional Policy and Innovation Center, which requests approximately $65 million to reskill workers and equip small businesses to take advantage of the region’s burgeoning lithium extraction industry.

“Being one of 22 finalists out of 565 applications nationwide is a testament to the regional collaborative approach and hard work of everyone involved, and we are very motivated and committed to carrying this across the finish line,” said Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-25). “I look forward to continuing to work with our Lithium Valley partners in developing transformative initiatives that will make the biggest difference for the community.”

The lawmaker’s office said currently, Imperial County’s economy is dire, with 45% of its populace out of the workforce and an unemployment rate hovering at 20%.

The Lithium Valley Recompete Project is not an option; it’s a necessity, Ruiz’s office added.

The project is a pivotal response to Imperial’s economic plight, aiming to leverage its lithium reserves while addressing the urgent need for employment and economic stability. The comprehensive initiative outlined in the proposal integrates education, training, infrastructure development, and community support to successfully assist a region in responding to immediate shifting industry demands and ensure rapid job creation, Ruiz said.

According to the Congressman’s office, the Lithium Valley Recompete Project promises rapid linkages to quality jobs and the establishment of stable, long-term employment pathways that the residents of Imperial Valley desperately need.

The Policy and Innovation Center (PIC) is spearheading this collaborative effort of Imperial Valley stakeholders, including San Diego State University Imperial Valley (SDSU), Imperial Valley College (IVC), the Imperial County Office of Education (ICOE) the Imperial County Workforce Development Board (ICWDB), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Gafcon and many others.

This collaborative group aims to tackle the region's substantial challenges through research and policy analysis supported by PIC’s partner agency the Brookings Institution, and by fostering partnerships that facilitate solutions across sectors and jurisdictions, Ruiz said.

The applicant’s seven proposed projects will address gaps in educational attainment and STEM workforce training to ensure new growth industries serve residents of California’s Imperial Valley, the EDA said.

Authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act, Recompete is a key part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda – a key pillar of Bidenomics, the EDA said.

Recompete will invest $200 million in economic and workforce development projects that connect workers to good jobs in geographically diverse and persistently distressed communities across the country.

“Recompete helps fulfill President Biden’s promise that no community in America will be left behind as we continue to grow our nation’s economy and invest in American workers,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “These Recompete finalists and grant recipients have presented a wide range of inspiring solutions to create jobs, develop long-term economic growth, and realize the full potential in communities that for too long have been overlooked or counted out.”

The Recompete Finalists are located across 20 states and Territories and represent a cross-section of urban and rural regions. Of the 22 Finalists, seven are focused exclusively on rural American communities, and five are led by or involve Tribal organizations as a primary partner. Additionally, seven Finalists’ plans involve labor organizations as part of their proposed investments.

“As President Biden has said many times: we all just want a fair shot. Recompete helps make it possible for more Americans in more communities to find a good-paying job that puts them and their families on the path toward success,” said Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves. “By equitably investing in new job creation opportunities across America, we can help fulfill our promise that no American, and no community, is ever left behind.”

In the two-phase competition, Phase 1 finalists will be invited to apply for implementation grants for their Recompete Plans in Phase 2.

In addition to announcing the Phase 1 finalists, the Department of Commerce launched the Recompete Pilot Program Phase 2 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Phase 2 investments will range from $20-$50 million and can be used to support a wide range of implementation activities across workforce development, business and entrepreneur development, infrastructure, and additional planning, predevelopment, or technical assistance.

The EDA also awarded 24 Strategy Development Grants (SDG) to help communities significantly increase local coordination and planning activities. Such development could make selected grantees more competitive for future Recompete funding.

“The President vowed to grow the economy from the middle out and the bottom up including by helping communities that have been left behind make a comeback,” said Director of the White House National Economic Council Lael Brainard. “Programs like the Recompete Program, which invests in community-based coalitions, will help make this a reality.”

Eligible applicants included local and state governments, Tribal governments, political subdivisions of a State or other entity, non-profits, Economic Development Districts, and coalitions of any of these entities that serve or are contained within an eligible geographic area. To support applicants in determining if they are in an Eligible Area, EDA, in partnership with Argonne National Laboratory, launched the Recompete Eligibility Mapping Tool.

The Phase 1 finalists were selected from more than 500 applications from lead applicants representing nonprofits, local government, economic development organizations, educational institutions, and tribal governments and organizations. Together, the 22 Phase 1 Finalists represent nearly $800 million in preliminary funding requests that will be refined in their Phase 2 applications.

“These outstanding Recompete finalists and strategy development grant recipients exemplify the focused employment and job creation strategies required to address the unique, long-standing needs of communities,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “We look forward to supporting these communities as they work to reduce the employment gap and establish models for long-term economic growth we can apply across America.”

Lithium Valley project among 22 EDA finalists

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), announced Wednesday the 22 finalists of the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (Recompete).

www.ivpressonline.com

 

[Bunk Moreland]

With this I think the county and state are going to see significant corruption of decision making officials. Time and time again we have great new projects and initiatives in this country and low and behold, someone or many people are taking a piece for themselves. And not just the company executives that are in charge of extract the lithium.

We’ve also seen this use case before. You know , the past 100 years or more! Everything is sunshine and rainbows but in the end this will be terrible for the environment now and decades after. Probably not great for drinking water either.

No matter how much money is set aside for reconstruction and clean up when these companies leave, I would double it. Once they are gone they want nothing to do with those site and will try to get out of their agreed to responsibilities and now it’s a government/local problem.

 

[Arkain2K]

Groundbreaking Lithium Extraction Plant Launches in California ​

By L.L. Poirier | February 6, 2024

The direct lithium extraction plant under construction near California's Salton Sea is the first of seven planned phases for the $1.85 billion facility.​

Construction of the first large-scale direct lithium extraction plant in the U.S. began last month in California's "Lithium Valley"— igniting potential to transform the Salton Sea area into a significant source of the material critical to energy transition.

Controlled Thermal Resources Holdings Inc., an Australia-based company, is spearheading the $1.85 billion project to construct a fully integrated lithium and renewable power production facility on the sea's shore in the Imperial Valley region. The Jan. 30 groundbreaking marked the construction launch of the first phase of the facility.

"We are building the foundations for a truly sustainable battery materials and clean energy campus that will close the gap between upstream, midstream and downstream activities and set new standards for battery supply chain integration in the United States," said firm CEO Rod Colwell.

The plant will integrate a geothermal power plant with lithium production, making it the world's first facility to combine these two processes. The first phase is expected to produce about 25,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate annually, sufficient to support production of about 415,000 electric vehicles each year.

Major automakers have already seized the opportunity to invest in the project. In 2021, General Motors became the first private investor, contributing an undisclosed "multi-million" dollar amount. Additional support arrived in August 2023 when GM's parent company, Stellantis, invested $100 million.

Upon full operation, the site is set to produce up to 300,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent annually. Under a 10-year contract, the developer will supply Stellantis with up to 65,000 metric tons per year of battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate.

​

Innovative Methods​

The direct lithium extraction method to be at the plant operates through two main steps. Initially, the geothermal power plant generates clean power and steam. Lithium is then extracted from geothermal brine brought to the surface during the power generation process.
Instead of discarding the surface brine, it is reinjected into the geothermal reservoir. Lithium extracted through the filtration process is then used to produce lithium carbonate or hydroxide.

The direct extraction process "is not a new technology ... and has actually been employed for several decades in Argentina, albeit in a hybrid manner," explained Michael McKibben, professor emeritus of geology at the University of California, Riverside.

CTR isn’t the first company to attempt utilizing the Salton Sea’s geothermal brines for lithium either. Berkshire Hathaway received a $14.9 million grant to study the extraction process in 2021, but the DOE rescinded the money just weeks later (in an apparent mutual decision).

The method offers significant environmental advantages over hard rock mining, which involves blasting rock, followed by crushing, soaking it in sulfuric acid and ultimately roasting it at high temperatures to release the lithium.

The process "applied to both geothermal and oil field brines is a much more environmentally friendly technique because the infrastructure is already in place, and the brine is already being brought to the surface in the case of geothermal power generation,” McKibben added. “So, you're simply selectively filtering out lithium from the brine flow that is already being produced. There's no need to construct extensive infrastructure.”

The method also boasts a comparable extraction rate to hard rock mining, about 95%, without need for evaporation brine ponds, open pit mines and fossil-fueled processing while simultaneously generating its own power to drive the extraction process.

With anticipated growth in electric vehicle production in the coming years, demand for lithium is also expected to surge.

A report released last year by the U.S. Dept. of Energy Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory revealed that production in the Salton Sea region could yield over 3,400 kilotons of lithium, sufficient to manufacture more than 375 million electric vehicle batteries.

“We could eventually, out of this geothermal reservoir, produce enough lithium to meet all of our domestic needs and perhaps even have some leftover for export,” remarked McKibben, who has studied the Salton Sea geothermal field since the 1970s. “If we could produce lithium at the Salton Sea, manufacture, and recycle batteries locally, we would essentially have a completely internal supply chain, which would ... create jobs domestically and generate tax revenue.”

​

Government Support​

At the state level, research and development efforts have been ongoing for years.

According to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, California has allocated over $27 million to support nearly 20 research projects aimed at advancing innovations for lithium recovery from geothermal brines and related endeavors since 2017. He signed legislation in 2022. allocating $5 million to Imperial County to bolster Lithium Valley, and established the Lithium Extraction Tax law to ensure local communities share in industry’s growth.

“We’ve been fully committed to Lithium Valley, establishing a global hub for clean energy and ensuring that local communities benefit from this unique opportunity,” Newsom stated after the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab report. “This further validates California's potential to become the leading source of batteries for our vehicles, homes, and businesses worldwide.”

The initiatives are built on a 2022 report from the Lithium Valley Commission, established in 2020 to explore opportunities and risks in lithium recovery from geothermal brines of Imperial Valley. It recommended accelerated transmission planning, improved permitting processes and secure funding for infrastructure investments and economic incentives to support industry growth and job training.

Just before the plant groundbreaking, the California Energy Commission announced a grant opportunity on Jan. 18 to fund projects aimed at reducing scaling and corrosion impacts at geothermal power plants in California or enhancing recovery of lithium and other valuable minerals from geothermal brine at the Salton Sea field. Submission deadline for proposals is April 15.

While direct lithium extraction is an established technology, "its application to geothermal and oilfield brines is relatively recent,” said McKibben. “The challenge ahead will be scaling up these processes to commercial levels, and that will be the key area to monitor.”

Groundbreaking Lithium Extraction Plant Launches in California

The $1.85B complex is the first to use abundant geothermal brine near the Salton Sea to produce lithium for large scale EV battery production

www.enr.com