By Ernest Scheyder
(Reuters) - Lithium, the metal used to make electric vehicle batteries, has historically been produced using water-intensive evaporation ponds or open-pit mines. But a fleet of direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies is on the verge of upending that.
Many of these DLE technologies are so far unproven without the use of evaporation ponds, sparking a race for one of them to start commercially producing the metal without those ponds.
Here are players in the global DLE space:
Livent:
Livent operates an Argentina facility that blends evaporation ponds with DLE. It is set to merge with rival Allkem by the end of the year.
Sunresin:
Sunresin operates Chinese facilities that combine evaporation ponds with DLE. The company, which also makes equipment that filters apple juice, says it is poised to soon launch pure-play DLE projects.
Eramet:
The company, which counts the French government as a major shareholder, is developing a $1.7 billion DLE project in Argentina with China's Tsingshan that is slated to start producing 24,000 tonnes of lithium annually by next year. Eramet spent more than a decade developing its own DLE technology. "We believe it's superior to anything else," said Eramet Chief Development Officer Geoff Streeton.
International Battery Metals:
The company's executive chairman, John Burba, helped invent a lithium adsorbent in the 1970s upon which several DLE companies have based their operations. IBAT built a portable DLE plant capable of producing 5,000 tonnes of lithium annually that it hopes to have in production by December.
EnergySource Minerals:
The privately-held company, which counts SLB as an investor, is seeking financing for a California DLE project. Ford signed an agreement last month to buy lithium from the company starting in 2025. EnergySource also licenses its DLE technology.
EnergyX:
The privately-held company has deployed DLE demonstration plants to California, Arkansas and Utah, as well as Chile and Argentina. It is aiming for commercial production by the end of 2025. General Motors (NYSE:GM) is an investor.
Rio Tinto (LON:RIO):
The mining giant paid $825 million last year for an Argentina lithium project that it expects to be producing 3,000 metric tons annually by next year.
Albemarle:
The world's largest lithium producer, with operations in Chile, Australia, China and the United States, has said it is investigating DLE.
SQM:
The world's second-largest lithium producer, with operations in Chile, Australia and China, is facing pressure from Santiago to shift its operations to DLE.
Compass Minerals International:
The company, whose largest shareholder is Koch Industries, licensed EnergySource's DLE technology to filter lithium from Utah's Great Salt Lake starting in 2025 for Ford and LG Energy.
Standard Lithium:
Standard plans to filter lithium from the brine wastewater of a Lanxess bromine facility in Arkansas. That wastewater is currently reinjected into the Smackover Formation, which stretches from Florida to Texas. Standard, which counts Koch as its largest shareholder, has not said when it could reach commercial production.
Lilac Solutions:
The privately-held company is building a DLE project in Argentina with Lake Resources. Both said in April they had produced 2.5 metric tons of lithium. No date for commercial production.
Elsewhere, Lilac is "currently advancing engineering for commercial-scale production at multiple large projects around the world," said CEO Dave Snydacker. BMW and Breakthrough Energy Ventures are investors.
Summit Nanotech:
The privately-held company is developing DLE projects in South America and recently opened a new office and test center in Santiago. BHP is an investor.
E3 Lithium
The company, which is developing a DLE project in Alberta with support from Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) subsidiary Imperial Oil, aims for commercial production by 2026.
IBC Advanced Technologies:
The privately-held company developed a specialized version of DLE known as direct lithium to product that can extract lithium from brine and convert it to lithium hydroxide, removing a processing step. IBC said this week that its technology will be used to deliver lithium by 2025 to Panasonic and Chori.
Controlled Thermal Resources:
The privately-held company is developing a DLE project in California with support from GM and Stellantis. Controlled Thermal, which stopped using Lilac's DLE technology and hired Koch for technical support, aims to be producing 25,000 metric tons annually in 2025. The company said on Friday it chose filtration company Aquatech to help it produce lithium hydroxide.
Occidental (NYSE:OXY) Petroleum:
The oil producer controls DLE patents developed by the now-defunct Simbol Materials and is developing a DLE technology. No timeline for commercial production.
Vulcan Energy Resources:
Vulcan is developing a DLE project in Germany's Black Forest and aims to be supplying lithium to Stellantis by 2026.
Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRKa):
Warren Buffett's company has experienced technical challenges developing a DLE project in California's Salton Sea. Construction of a commercial plant could start next year, Berkshire has said, depending on test results.