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The world’s “Lithium Triangle,” a mineral-rich zone encompassing portions of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile in the Andean Plateau and holding over half of the planet’s lithium deposits, is facing increasing challenges due to diminishing freshwater resources vital for lithium mining. This critical region is essential to global lithium supply, a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage.
Study Reveals Freshwater Scarcity in Lithium Triangle
A recent study published in Communications Earth and Environment indicates that the readily available freshwater for lithium extraction in the Lithium Triangle is significantly less – approximately ten times lower – than previously estimated. This revelation raises concerns as global lithium demand is projected to surge fortyfold by 2040, potentially exceeding the region’s limited annual rainfall that replenishes freshwater supplies.
Call for Sustainable Water Management in Lithium Mining
The study’s authors are urging the lithium industry to adopt more sustainable practices in freshwater usage to prevent disruptions to mining activities. Currently, extracting one ton of lithium can consume up to 500,000 gallons of freshwater, placing immense pressure on local resources. In this arid region, freshwater is not only crucial for lithium mining but also sustains agriculture for local Indigenous communities and fragile wetland ecosystems, habitats for unique species like short-tailed chinchillas and pink flamingos.
Expert Optimism for Water Efficiency in Lithium Industry
David Boutt, a geosciences professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and a co-author of the study, emphasizes the sensitivity of water resources in the region. “Water is the most important resource in these systems, and it’s the part of the system that is most sensitive to change,” Boutt stated. However, he expressed optimism, adding, “I’m optimistic that, through research and development, companies can be more water efficient, especially when driven by the market.”
Lithium’s Crucial Role in Clean Energy Transition
While water is fundamental for life and industry in the Lithium Triangle, lithium is indispensable for the global transition towards electrification and the growth of clean technology sectors. The mineral is a vital element in batteries that power electric vehicles and store energy from renewable sources like solar and wind power.
Growing Lithium Demand and Supply Chain Challenges
The demand for lithium batteries is forecast to quadruple by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency. Industry experts are voicing concerns about meeting this escalating demand, citing challenges such as permitting delays for new lithium mines and lengthy operational setup times, in addition to concerns about resource availability.
Supply Vulnerability and Price Volatility
“We need more lithium sources to come online to meet the demand we’ll see by 2030,” stated Michael McKibben, geology professor at the University of California, Riverside. He pointed out the inherent delays in mineral extraction. “Mineral extraction is a slow, tedious process. That’s why prices are so volatile — demand goes up, but the supply can’t respond instantaneously.”
Freshwater’s Critical Role in Lithium Formation
In the Lithium Triangle, freshwater is a determining factor in the available lithium supply for mining. Rainwater leaches lithium and other minerals from rock formations into deep depressions in the Andean Plateau. Over millions of years, this natural process results in the formation of saline lagoons enriched with lithium-rich brines.
Mining Processes and Aquifer Dependency
Mining companies extract this lithium-bearing brine from the lagoons and utilize evaporation techniques to concentrate the mineral. These evaporation methods require substantial amounts of freshwater, sourced from nearby aquifers. The water levels in these aquifers are directly dependent on annual rainfall, which can be as low as 20 millimeters (0.8 inches) in certain areas of the Lithium Triangle.
Limitations of Current Hydrological Data
Boutt highlights the scarcity of meteorological data due to the limited number of weather stations in the remote Andean Plateau. This lack of data complicates accurate assessments of freshwater flow to the lithium-rich lagoons and surrounding regions. He suggests that widely used global hydrologic models, relying on this limited data, have significantly overestimated the freshwater availability in the area.
Improved Freshwater Flow Model for Lithium Region
The model developed by Boutt and his research team analyzed freshwater across 28 watersheds within the Lithium Triangle, incorporating field observations, national meteorological data, and mining industry reports. Boutt asserts that this model provides a more comprehensive understanding of freshwater flow into the lithium-rich zone.
Need for Further Research on Lithium Mining Hydrology
Research into water and resource availability for lithium mining operations is still in its early stages. In the U.S., mining activities at the Silver Peak mine in Nevada, the nation’s only operational lithium mine, have faced criticism due to extensive and prolonged freshwater pumping in a region frequently affected by drought.
Global Perspective on Sustainable Lithium Supply Chains
Vanessa Schenker, a researcher at ETH Zurich, emphasizes the need for broader research into the hydrology of lithium-rich regions globally. “On top of how much water lithium mines are using, we also need to examine the entire supply chain for lithium and think of components such as chemical processing and transport,” Schenker stated. “Understanding the Lithium Triangle will help us understand other systems globally.”