United Daily News (UDN), one of the primary Taiwanese news groups, recently reported that, according to new research published in the journal Science Advances, scientists estimate that the lithium deposit located in the McDermitt Crater on the border of Oregon and Nevada contains 20 to 40 million tons of lithium. If the estimate is correct, the lithium reserves here will be greater than those in Bolivia’s salt flats, which contain about 23 million tons. Lithium is crucial for producing the batteries needed for electric cars and other green technologies, and the U.S. may have found the world’s largest lithium deposit. This estimate could change global lithium dynamics in terms of price, supply security and geopolitics. Some of the world’s richest lithium deposits are found in salt marshes. But McDermitt Crater’s lithium is locked in clay, and this clay mineral is easier to separate. As demand for lithium batteries grows exponentially nowadays, experts warn the world could face a lithium shortage by the end of the century. While global lithium supplies are likely to remain adequate in the next couple of years, regional supply imbalances are inevitable.
Source: UDN, September 11, 2023
https://udn.com/news/story/6813/7431205