Huge lithium discovery in PA could supply more than a third of American needs

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have discovered a substantial lithium deposit in Pennsylvania, with some suggesting that it could eventually supply the United States with as much as 40 percent of its needs. The valuable mineral was detected in wastewater from Marcellus Shale gas wells located across the state.

The news comes following a report from cross-commodity price-reporting agency Fastmarkets that showed demand for lithium in the US is predicted to soar by nearly 500 percent by 2030. Lithium is essential for many modern technologies, including batteries for phones, laptops, and electric cars. As of now, most of the supply comes from China and Chile.

UPitt National Energy Technology Laboratory research scientist Justin Mackey, who has been studying the subject for years alongside his mentor, associate professor Daniel Bain, published their findings in the Scientific Reports journal earlier this year.

They found that "estimates indicate substantial lithium yields from Marcellus [produced water]," though it was noted that "regional variability in chemistry and production may impact recovery efficiencies."

The team explained that the Marcellus Formation, an "unconventional natural gas field that underlies significant portions of central Appalachia" which came into being some 252-541 million years ago, requires "substantial amounts of water" to frack the lithium.

"This is lithium concentrations that already exist at the surface in some capacity in Pennsylvania," Mackey said in an interview with CBS News, explaining that, "we have found that there was sufficient lithium in the waters to supply somewhere between 30 and 40 percent of the current US national demand."

Mackey said he and his team "want a domestic source of lithium to decarbonize the American economy that is both safe, reliable, and environmentally friendly."

In their paper, however, the researchers noted that those conclusions were reached "assuming 100 percent Li recovery and extraction processes are more cost effective than competing uses for the water."

As Fastmarkets reports, by 2030 the US is expected to require 412,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent, a 487 percent increase over the current demand.