First New US Lithium Operation Since the '60s Opens in Texas

Element3 and the US Department of Energy launched the first new domestic lithium extraction operation since the 1960s at a plant in Midland, Texas. The company extracts lithium from oilfield wastewater in the Permian Basin using Oak Ridge National Laboratory technology, with capacity of 3,000 tons per year.

• Element3's Midland plant opened on February 6, 2026 and is already producing lithium
• Capacity is 3,000 tons per year, nearly half of current US production
• Lithium is extracted from oil production wastewater in the Permian Basin
• Element3 licensed seven ORNL inventions for lithium extraction in 2024