Lithium resources in Argentina, Chile and Bolivia exist as liquid ‘brines’ in the arid Andean region (‘salars’). Significant controversy exists around the potential negative impacts of brine-mining on the region’s sensitive habitats, groundwater, and local communities including Indigenous Peoples (IPs). There is a need to balance the requirements for rapid up-scaling of production with responsible sourcing of lithium from brines including through setting social, environmental and governance standards.
In Latin America, the lithium-rich brine is processed either via evaporation ponds (open pools that evaporate into the atmosphere) or via Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE). DLE processes aim to have higher lithium extraction efficiency, 70-90% generally, and a significantly reduced surface footprint compared to evaporation ponds. DLE processes use varying but not insignificant levels of energy, fresh water and chemicals; this must be considered as part of environmental impact assessments. Salars tend to have multiple operators which adds to the complexity when you consider environmental and social impacts.
Solutions discussed included:
- UK-facilitated baseline data and monitoring – efforts to improve the collection of baseline data and monitoring are essential to enable in-depth environmental assessments. An example would be the assessment of DLE alongside reinjection which would require a range of organisations from different disciplines.
- A pilot facility for DLE located at a university or a research park in the region (preferably one in each country) funded by government research organisations / subscription and available to researchers from various organisations to assess different technologies.
- While stocks of used batteries that could be recycled or reused right now are currently insufficient to meet anticipated demand, this will be increasingly important. This could be an area in which Latin America, drawing on expertise from the UK, could excel, with the benefit of creating a circular economy. Some countries in the region have already taken proactive steps towards this, e.g. in 2022 Chile published a roadmap for a circular economy by 2040.
- Participants at the conference noted the potential for desalination processes to be powered by renewable energy sources (solar PV), but that to build out the generation capacity for this would require a 33% increase of total energy generation in Chile. This would also introduce a larger surface footprint, some participants suggested that the required number of solar panels would constitute a surface area double the size of existing extraction ponds, which has been a point of criticism from local communities.
- There was also discussion around the need to develop and test new underground mining technologies, including the use of batteries that were safety tested in that environment. Technologies were not fully developed yet, and a range of options were needed.
- Participants also discussed the future legacy of lithium extraction, what skills and value will be left over in local communities and national economies respectively. The UK should work with partners in Latin America to ensure lasting benefits remain even after the “lithium boom” ends, specifically skilled local workforces, jobs in advanced manufacturing industries and generally supporting a transition from an extractive economy.