Lithium is an essential element for environmentally friendly technologies, such as batteries and electric vehicles
The world's largest lithium reserves are located on the border between the states of Oregon and Nevada in an area known as McDermitt Caldera
Lithium extraction in this area is viewed in various ways, as it is sacred land to many Native American tribes and a habitat for a local species of grouse
If society now wants to fully utilise electric power one day, it needs a range of raw materials, such as lithium (Li), which is the key chemical element used in green technologies, such as batteries and electric vehicles. It is estimated that there are 88 million tonnes of lithium in the world, but it is only economically viable to extract a quarter of that. The large lithium deposits in Chile, Bolivia and Australia are highly valuable.
In a report published in the journal Science Advances, prepared by Lithium Americas Corporation (a mining company), GNS Science and Oregon State University, it is stated that the largest lithium reserves in the world may actually be in the McDermitt Caldera, which is located on the border of the states of Oregon and Nevada.
“Recent calculations estimate that the McDermitt Caldera sediments could contain between 20 and 40 MT (metric tonnes) of lithium”, the report states. “Even if this estimate is imprecise, the Li reserve in the McDermitt Caldera sediments would still be equivalent to, if not significantly larger than, the 10.2 MT Li reserve estimated to be in the brine beneath the Salar de Ujuni in Bolivia, which was previously considered the largest Li deposit on Earth.”