The Environmental Impact of Lithium Metal Production

It’s a fact that using electric energy products, such as the lithium battery of an electric vehicle or a home energy storage system, is far less environmentally detrimental than using fossil fuels like oil and gas.

But what about the environmental impact of producing lithium itself?

There are several environmental factors lithium producers should consider when extracting and producing lithium. Lithium Metal Australia touches on the environmental impact of lithium metal production, and explains how carbothermic reduction, the process used by the team to produce lithium, is the least environmentally-impactful way of lithium production.

The environmental impacts of lithium production

Lithium production can have several negative impacts on the environment. Some of the most commonly sighted impacts of lithium production include:

• Energy consumption

Lithium production has typically required significant amounts of energy which, if that energy comes from non-renewable sources, leads to a considerable carbon footprint. Refining the lithium metal, as well as lithium metal battery production itself, has traditionally used a lot of energy.

• Water consumption

Extracting lithium can use considerable amounts of water, too, and this can result in the poisoning of local reservoirs if not conducted safely.

• Mining implications

Mining lithium also has implications in terms of affecting local ecosystems, flora and fauna.

Carbothermic reduction: the most energy-efficient method of lithium production

While there are certainly some big concerns about lithium production, Lithium Metal Australia is developing the most energy- and cost-efficient process to produce lithium metal – and that’s carbothermic reduction.

Carbothermic reduction shows several benefits in reducing the environmental impact of lithium metal production. These include:

• Reduced energy consumption

While carbothermic reduction requires high temperatures, and thus still requires considerable energy consumption, it may use less energy than traditional chemical processes.

• Reduced chemical usage

Carbothermic reductions requires fewer chemical additives in order to extract lithium metal than other chemical processes. The technology that Lithium Metal Australia is developing produces fewer emissions and pollutants.

• Simple and cost-efficient

Due to the relative simplicity of carbothermic reduction, it’s also the most cost-effective method of producing lithium metal. 

Lithium metal has less environmental impacts than lithium ion

With a higher energy density, better efficiency, and no use of flammable solvents, lithium metal batteries have several environmental benefits over lithium ion batteries. We believe lithium metal is the most eco-friendly way of achieving a decarbonised world.

Lithium Metal Australia is one of Australia’s leading teams pushing for a greener, cleaner world. We extract lithium metal in a responsible way, with the aim of decarbonisation of the planet. Our processes of lithium extraction are clean and efficient, using the most energy- and cost-efficient process to produce lithium metal – carbothermic reduction. Contact Lithium Metal Australia to learn more about our world-leading lithium metal extraction.

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