Harvesting Lithium from Seawater

KAUST researchers have developed a new method to source an essential material for electric vehicle batteries

KAUST researchers have developed an innovative and economically viable method to mine high-purity lithium from seawater. The highly sought-after resource is a vital component of the batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs). Demand for lithium is set to grow significantly in the coming years, driven by efforts to scale up EV production globally in response to climate change. The new method has the potential to transform the lithium mining industry, offering a breakthrough solution for a resource that has witnessed soaring demand. In September 2021, lithium prices reached a three-year high on the London Metal Exchange amid concerns that global stocks of this element will not be sufficient enough to meet the accelerating needs of EV makers. Indeed, projections indicate that land-based reserves of lithium could be exhausted by 2080. With growing consumer interest and policymakers worldwide incentivizing the use of EVs over the currently more common internal combustion engine vehicles, many are now looking to unlock new supplies of lithium.

Lithium is typically extracted from underground deposits using traditional mining methods, but a team of scientists led by Professor of Chemical Engineering Zhiping Lai has proved it possible to source the metal from seawater. Oceans contain about 5,000 times more lithium than currently known land deposits, but at extremely low concentrations of about 0.2 parts per million. Previous extraction efforts have not been successful, but KAUST researchers found a way to use an electrochemical cell with holes in its walls that are large enough to allow lithium ions to pass through, but small enough to block the other larger, undesired metal ions present in water. The cells are a compound of the oxides of three elements: lithium lanthanum, and titanium. They contain three compartments – one in which seawater enters, one for negatively charged ions to pass through, and one that collects positively charged lithium ions. This new process of mining lithium has the potential to be more cost-effective than current methods, capturing the interest of investors and mining experts worldwide. The main cost involved is electricity, and even this is relatively low: KAUST researchers estimate that $5 in energy costs would yield one kilogram of lithium. This method avoids expensive steps in the supply chain such as ore crushing, and transport from remote mines to processing facilities and on to customers. The global lithium market is highly concentrated: most lithium reserves are found in South America, and access is controlled by four major companies.

Since Lai and his team published their results in a paper titled “Continuous Electrical Pumping Membrane Process for Seawater Lithium Mining” in the May 2021 edition of the academic journal Energy & Environmental Science, the innovation has drawn coverage from publications including Chemical & Engineering News, Canadian Mining Journal and Metal Tech News. The scientists have fielded inquiries from more than 30 companies and venture firms, with whom they have signed non-disclosure

MA’ADEN

“Our team has identified the technology developed by KAUST to extract lithium from seawater as extremely promising with highly valuable potential.”

Saud M. Al-Mandil, Vice President of Digitalization and Operational Excellence at Ma’aden

ZHIPING LAI Professor of Chemical Engineering

EXTRACTING LITHIUM FROM SEAWATER IS EXTREMELY CHALLENGING BECAUSE OF ITS LOW CONCENTRATION. WE HAVE ACHIEVED IT AT KAUST THANKS TO OUR FLEXIBLE AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT. SINCE DOING SO, WE HAVE RECEIVED TREMENDOUS INTEREST FROM COMPANIES AROUND THE WORLD.

agreements to negotiate investment packages for a startup company to produce and sell this new technology. This is yet another discovery that positions KAUST as a noteworthy source of scientific scholarship, and supports the Kingdom in its efforts to meet Vision 2030 goals, including establishing a thriving and internationally competitive economy. Its National Transformation Program aims to attract investment, develop promising local companies into regional and global leaders, and strengthen economic ties with global partners – all of which are likely outcomes should Lai and his colleagues find success in converting their innovation into a commercial-scale alternative. With lithium remaining central to the ongoing energy transition, their project also meets sustainability goals embedded in Vision 2030, as the energy requirements of giga-projects and the wider global economy will continue to grow in the coming years.