A new study conducted by Argonne National Laboratory in collaboration with SQM analyzes the environmental impact of lithium and proposes concrete improvements to move toward sustainable lithium production, which is key to the development of electric vehicles.
A key study on sustainability and lithium production
An important new study by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has yielded critical fresh insights into the lithium production process and how it relates to long-term environmental sustainability, particularly in the area of transportation with batteries and electric vehicles.
The article titled “Energy, Greenhouse Gas, and Water Life Cycle Analysis of Lithium Carbonate and Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate from Brine and Ore Resources and Their Use in Lithium Ion Battery Cathodes and Lithium Ion Batteries” was published in the journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling , and was the result of a unique collaboration with SQM, a Chilean company that is one of the world’s largest lithium producers.
Results of the study
According to Argonne life cycle analyst and lead author Jarod Kelly, the researchers (using operational data provided by SQM) found that lithium sourcing, both from a process and location perspective, can significantly impact its associated environmental impacts.
In fact, “the results show that concentrated lithium brine and its related end products can vary significantly in energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, sulfur dioxide emissions, and water consumption depending on the resource allocation method used ,” Kelly explained.
The researchers modeled brine-based lithium extracted from the Salar de Atacama, a large salt flat located in northern Chile near the Andes Mountains. The lithium is naturally dried in large ponds to evaporate the water, concentrate the lithium, and remove impurities. Materials and energy are then added to produce lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide. These two end products are shipped worldwide to battery cathode producers, who process them into a wide variety of battery materials.
Projections and impact on electromobility
The study's results could have important implications for optimizing lithium production at every stage of the process, resulting in more environmentally friendly products, particularly battery electric vehicles.
The International Energy Agency predicts that demand for lithium could increase 40-fold between 2020 and 2040, primarily due to the global deployment of electric vehicles.
“Examining current lithium production and searching for future production, including in the United States, are critical to sustaining the rollout of electric vehicles ,” said Michael Wang, director of Argonne’s Center for Systems Assessment and co-author of the study.
“This study also establishes a baseline for current practices and shows us potential areas for improvement ,” Kelly added. “With further research, it will be possible to use this information to help develop best practices for producing lithium in the most sustainable way.”
Collaboration with SQM
SQM initially contacted Argonne last year to collaborate in support of the ambitious sustainability goals that the company recently announced.
“In line with our sustainability plan, we want to take a closer look at the carbon emissions, water consumption, and energy consumption of our lithium products and see how this affects the rest of the value chain ,” said Verónica Gautier, Head of Innovation at SQM. “This information will help us achieve our goal of being carbon neutral by 2030.”
On the other hand, the analysis will also help address a general issue in the global trend toward electrification of transportation with battery electric vehicles, Wang said.
“Electrification is often aimed at environmental sustainability. But we need to know more about lithium-ion battery production before we can say we are truly on a sustainable path ,” he noted. “This study provides crucial information about the electric mobility value chain.”
Methodology and scope of the study
The formal analysis used Argonne's open-source modeling tool, GREET ( Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy in Technologies ), with detailed data and technical expertise from SQM.
In addition to lithium brine extracted in Chile, the researchers expanded their data by modeling lithium in ore extracted from spodumene in Western Australia.
Kelly noted that this was the first analysis of its kind to rely on such comprehensive data from an industry partner.
Gautier added that SQM was pleased that the study's results were now publicly available and would contribute to global efforts to ensure responsible and sustainable lithium production.
“It’s important for us to have complete transparency about how our process works, and we’re delighted to leverage Argonne’s experience and expertise ,” he said. “Sharing this information will be of great educational value.”
Learn more
The article "Resources, Conservation & Recycling" is available to view and download.
If you are interested in learning more about our progress in sustainable lithium production, please visit our latest news.
