In a joint venture, Occidental and BHE Renewables have teamed up to demonstrate and deploy TerraLithium’s direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies for extracting high-purity lithium compounds from geothermal brine. As a subsidiary of Occidental, TerraLithium has patented DLE technologies that can process lithium-containing brine into high-purity lithium. BHE Renewables, which operates geothermal power plants in California’s Imperial Valley and processes large quantities of brine to generate energy, is well-positioned to take advantage of this technology.
The joint venture has kicked off a project at one of BHE Renewables’ geothermal plants in the Imperial Valley to showcase the potential of using TerraLithium’s DLE technology efficiently and safely produce lithium. If the demonstration is successful, BHE Renewables plans to construct and operate commercial lithium production plants in the Imperial Valley. The joint venture also aims to license the technology and set up lithium production facilities in other locations.
Richard Jackson, president of US Onshore Resources and Carbon Management Operations at Occidental, highlighted the advantageous combination of Occidental’s experience in managing brine in its oil and gas and chemicals sectors with BHE Renewables’ expertise in geothermal operations. This partnership positions them well to advance a more sustainable form of lithium production.
Lithium is an essential component in batteries for electric vehicles, consumer electronics, energy grid storage, and various industrial applications like glass, ceramics, and pharmaceuticals. The demand for battery lithium is expected to rise significantly in the coming years, aligning with the growth in battery demand, as projected by the International Renewable Energy Agency.
