First new US lithium plant in 50 years taps oilfield wastewater

The US Department of Energy and Texas-based Element3, with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, launched a domestic lithium project that filters lithium chloride from oilfield wastewater in the Permian Basin. The facility is projected to produce about 3,000 tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate per year.

• Element3 extracts lithium chloride from Permian Basin oilfield wastewater
• Projected output is about 3,000 tons of lithium per year, per ORNL
• The US's only lithium mine, Silver Peak, produced about 5,000 tons annually
• The project is backed by the DOE and Oak Ridge National Laboratory