US DOE announces funding for geothermal lithium projects

Work continues on Hell's Kitchen Lithium Geothermal Project, Salton Sea (source: CTR)

Carlo Cariaga 10 Nov 2022

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a USD 12-million Funding Opportunity to support the extraction and conversion of lithium from geothermal brines to use in batteries for stationary storage and electric vehicles. This is a follow-up to the intent to issue the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) that we reported on previously.

The estimated period of performance for the award will be three years. Concept papers are due on 9 December 2022, at 5 P.M. ET. More details on the FOA are available via this link.

This investment will support projects that strengthen and diversify the lithium supply chain—an important step on the path to achieving the Biden Administration’s goals of a net-zero clean energy economy by 2050 and 50% electric vehicle adoption by 2030.

Geothermal brines are a byproduct of clean, geothermal power that contain a host of minerals, including lithium. This funding opportunity will support technologies to directly extract battery-grade lithium from geothermal brines—providing a cost-effective, domestic source of this critical material.

The funding opportunity will focus on two topic areas:

• Field Validation of Lithium Hydroxide Production from Geothermal Brines: pilot or demonstration projects to validate cost-effective, innovative lithium extraction and lithium hydroxide conversion technologies. Lithium hydroxide is used in the manufacture of lithium battery electrodes.
• Applied Research & Development for Direct Lithium Extraction from Geothermal Brines: R&D projects to advance emerging direct lithium extraction process technologies to increase efficiency, reduce waste generation, and/or reduce cost.

This funding opportunity is led by EERE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) and Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO).

Source: U.S. Department of Energy