Tag: lithium

Tesla Lithium Deal With Australian Miner Lapses

A slated deal for the sale of lithium to electric car giant Tesla from Australia’s Core Lithium has been quietly shelved. “I want to thank Tesla for the time taken to negotiate with Core and look forward to maintaining an open and ongoing dialogue,” said CEO Gareth Manderson in an announcement (pdf) on Oct. 27….


South Korean Companies Enter US Waste Battery Recycling Business to Reduce Mineral Dependence on China

Amid the rising global demand for electric vehicles and the U.S.’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, many South Korean companies have entered the U.S. battery recycling market. And those that rely heavily on China for key minerals are diversifying their supply chains, and one of their solutions is reusing waste batteries. The Inflation Reduction…


Lithium Prices Surge to Record High, Threatening to Push Up Expensive EV Costs Even Higher

The price of lithium carbonate, the key material used to make electric car batteries, has continued to skyrocket, tripling in the past year. The valuable mineral is mainly processed in communist China, which has a monopoly on the battery market. Lithium carbonate prices in China hit $71,315 a ton on Sept. 16, according to data from…


US Lithium Mine Set to Destroy the Environment, Cultural Heritage Site, and Displace Farmers: Watchdog Group

Located within an extinct supervolcano, the Thacker Pass lithium deposit is the largest known lithium resource in the United States. And once Lithium Nevada gets its open-pit mine up and running, it’s expected to net billions in revenue and millions in tax generation. It will also destroy Peehee Mu’huh, a sacred site for the Fort McDermitt Tribe,…


Experts Say Biden’s Expanded Lithium Production as Bad for Environment as Fossil Fuels

Increased domestic lithium production plays a crucial role in President Joe Biden’s green energy plan, as 2021 marked the largest rollout of solar, wind, and electric batteries in the history of the United States. Nevertheless, lithium mining has quietly revealed itself to be a significant contributor to environmental pollution in the frantic rush to abandon…


Australia’s Lithium Ore Exports Exceeds $1Bn in June, China Largest Buyer

Australia’s lithium exports hit a record high in June, with China becoming the country’s largest buyer, a new trade export data showed. Lithium concentrates exports reached $1,163 million (US$810 million) in June, an increase of 1,189 percent compared with the same month last year, according to lithium export data released by the Australian Bureau of…


Australia’s Lithium Ore Exports Exceeds $1 Billion in June, China Largest Buyer

Australia’s lithium exports hit a record high in June, with China becoming the country’s largest buyer, a new trade export data showed. Lithium concentrates exports reached $1.163 million (US$810 million) in June, an increase of 1,189 percent compared with the same month last year, according to lithium export data released by the Australian Bureau of…


Rights Abuser China Emerging as Dubious Linchpin of Biden’s Lithium-Battery Supply Chain

A Chinese-dominated mining company has procured millions of dollars in American subsidies to extract lithium in the United States—but, given a dearth of U.S. processing capacity, the mineral is likely to be sent to China with no guarantee that the end product would return as batteries to power President Biden’s envisioned green economy. Critics say…


Lithium: The Cinderella Drug

Dr. Walter Brown begins his 2020 book “Lithium, a Doctor, a Drug and a Breakthrough,” by asking, “What do Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Ernest Hemingway have in common?” The answer is bipolar disorder, previously known as manic-depressive illness. Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness characterized by extreme mood swings, including extreme excitement (mania)…


California Approves Lithium Tax Despite Industry’s Warnings

California on Thursday approved a plan to tax the electric vehicle battery metal lithium to generate revenue for environmental remediation projects despite industry concerns that it will harm the sector and delay shipments to automakers. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, approved the tax as part of a must-pass state budget on Thursday. The state legislature…