I thought I would share the highlights that we were told at a Dickson meeting on Lithium in Nevada.

Nevada contains enough lithium to meet the growing demand for 100+ years!
Extracting minerals from the many mines in Nevada is at least 3 years away.
The BLM has approved the mine at Thacker Pass. Geologists says the area hold the
largest lithium deposit in the world. It’s estimated there is $3.9 billion worth of
recoverable lithium.
The Silver Peak Lithium Mine in Clayton Valley is only active lithium production site in
the United States. They are working to expand their output.
Lack of infrastructure and workers in rural areas where the mines are located is a
concern. There are also issues of NIMBY in some rural areas that are fighting the
mines.
The various companies in the “lithium loop” are working with TMCC, WNC and EDAWN
to train a skilled workforce.
The Nevada Mining Association is working with rural communities, the Nevada
Homebuilders, and other industry groups to address infrastructure needs.
The Nevada Battey Coalition is advocacy group working to inform the public and private
sectors of the economic, environmental, and national security issues associated with
the battery supply chain in order to strengthen Nevada’s position as a leading battery
center in North America.
Detailed Notes:
Lithium is a lightweight mineral that stores energy. Thus, lithium batteries are ideal for
portable devices and electric vehicles. (There is a primer about the mineral at the end of
meeting notes.)
Geologist Rick Kern explained that Nevada contains enough lithium to meet the
growing demand for 100+ years! Nevada had a lot of volcanic activity that created salt
flats that are rich in lithium. The mineral is also found in brine solutions that are
produced as a byproduct of geothermal energy production.
The biggest challenge the mining industry faces is getting permits approved to begin
extracting the mineral. It can take up to 6 years to get all the approvals needed to start
mining the mineral. Capital is also an issue. The minimum investment is $10 million to
get from feasibility to extraction.
The other challenge is that the mines are located in rural areas where there are few
workers and little infrastructure and housing to accommodate the construction and
mining workers that will move to the area.
The Silver Peak Lithium Mine in Clayton Valley is only active lithium production site in
the United States and has been in operation for decades. We are at least 3 years away
from any other mines coming online. (Thacker Pass is probably the closest.)
The Nevada Mining Association is working with local communities now to develop trust
with local leaders to address their concerns. They are also working the Nevada Home
Builders to see how to address infrastructure needs.
Finding skilled workers is another challenge. That is something that EDAWN is working
on with the various industries, along with TMCC and WNC.
Denis from Dragon Fly Energy explained how his company is making lithium batteries
for RV’s, called Battle Born Batteries. They have a proprietary dry electrode battery
manufacturing process that has a significantly smaller manufacturing footprint and
consume notably less power than traditional methods.
Denis says the missing link in the lithium life cycle is the processing, which is being
done primarily in China. That is a critical component that Nevada needs to grow.
Steve from Aqua Metals explained that they are a sustainable battery recycling facility
at TRIC that is recovering saleable quantities of the full suite of valuable metals and
minerals contained in spent lithium batteries. Aqua Metals is producing lithium
hydroxide, nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese dioxide, and is scaling production at
the pilot facility to 75 tons per year of battery materials recycled.
More than 6.5 million tons of lithium-ion batteries from EVs are expected to be available
for recycling by 2030. That is why the “recycling” of these batteries is such a growing
segment of this market.
Jimmy from NV Energy explained that lithium batteries are needed to store the solar
energy that they create during the day. NV Energy is working to power Nevada with
100% renewable energy, and lithium is a critical to making that happen.
NV Energy’s Greenlink is critical to providing the power needed at the rural mines,
which is why NV Energy is a member of the NV Battery Coalition and is working with the
mining industry. Carolyn Barbash explained the status of the project that is bringing
power to many rural communities. Greenlink West will be a 525 kV transmission line
that spans approximately 350 miles from Las Vegas to Yerington. Greenlink North will
be a 525 kV line that spans approximately 235 miles from Ely to Yerington.