Work

Long-run availability of mineral resources: The dynamic case of lithium

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Lithium requirements will increase substantially in the energy transition - raising concerns about adequacy and affordability of lithium over the long term. A cumulative availability curve (CAC) highlights quantities, costs and locations of resources, which characterize availability to address these concerns. With estimates of in situ resources and production costs for 150 conventional and unconventional deposits, the CAC shows that: in situ resources doubled between 2009 and 2022 to 726 million metric tonnes lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE), illustrating the dynamic nature of our knowledge of resources; cost estimates suggest an incentive price of US$12,500-$15,000 per metric tonne LCE, well below the 2022 average price; and resources are more geographically dispersed than current production. Production is not constrained by physical availability but by investment to convert resources into reserves, and further into operating mines and processing facilities, in ways that are environmentally and socially responsible.

Source: Resources Policy

DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.105226

Authors: Maxwell Fleming, Sangita Gayatri Kannan, Roderick Eggert

Language: English

Topic: Extraction and Separation Processes

Subfield: Mechanical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,270

Funders: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency, Max Harry Weil Institute for Critical Care Research and Innovation, University of Michigan, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office