There are only 8 countries in the world that produce 'white gold'. The US has 1 mine that produces 5,000 tons per year, but that's still not enough.

This resource is the "trump card" in the global new energy race.

Exploding white dwarf stars are thought to be the ultimate source of most of the lithium in our Solar System. But on Earth, there are certain environments where the soft, light, silvery-white metal is most concentrated and easiest to mine, particularly in the salty underground aquifers found beneath desert salt flats.

These conditions are abundant in the Atacama Desert in South America , home to some of the world's largest lithium mines and operations. But they can also be found in Nevada's Clayton Valley – home to the only active lithium mine in the US.

Silver Peak was founded in the 1860s around gold and silver mines, but since the 1960s, the town has been involved in lithium mining. An extinct volcano has left behind lithium-rich deposits under Clayton Valley, known as the Silver Peak Mine, located at an altitude of 1,300m above sea level, Westernmininghistory reported.

Inside America's Only Lithium Mine

Most people know that Lithium is needed for batteries, but may not know what it actually is.  Lithium is an alkali metal found in many different places around the world and has been used to make products like batteries and grease since ancient times.  Lithium is not as common as other metals, but it is also less likely to corrode or oxidize, making it one of the most useful metals we have today.

Lithium is changing the way we interact with the world and it is the 'unsung hero' of the clean energy transition as governments look to meet climate targets by switching from petrol cars to electric vehicles. 

More than 50 countries have proposed bans on gas-guzzling vehicles, and the global adoption of electric vehicles will soon cause demand for Lithium to skyrocket. By 2035, 30% of the US population will no longer be able to afford a gasoline-powered car, and sales of electric vehicles are skyrocketing not just in the US, but globally.

The battery sector currently accounts for ~70% of global Lithium demand, and this is expected to increase to 96% by 2040. According to the International Energy Agency, we will need 4-6 times more Lithium by 2030. That's why many people call Lithium White Gold. Tesla billionaire Elon Musk calls it 'the new oil'.

Only 8 countries produce most of the world's Lithium. The top producers are Australia, Chile, China, Argentina, Brazil, Portugal, Zimbabwe and the United States.

According to NASA, the Silver Peak mine produces about 1% of the world's annual lithium production. The mine has been the only source of lithium in the United States for decades.

Silver Peak mine plans to double production by 2025 to meet demand for Lithium, as electric vehicles begin to gain a foothold in the country.

An aerial view of the Silver Peak Lithium Mine in Clayton Valley, Nevada. (Photo: Geologypics).

Albemarle Corp., a North Carolina-based specialty chemicals company, is the sole operator of the Silver Peak Lithium mine. The company's lithium operations are a massive complex that occupies a vast basin surrounded by mountains on all sides. As of 2020, Albemarle Corp. is the largest supplier of lithium for electric vehicles.

Foote Minerals began producing lithium carbonate from brine at Silver Peak in the 1960s, and Albemarle Corp. acquired the facility in 2015.

Lithium sources can vary based on its concentration . Lithium extracted from brine is usually in the form of lithium chloride . Lithium mined from hard rock is usually lithium oxide . Both forms can be converted to lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide , derivatives used to make lithium-ion batteries .

Silver Peak's lithium source is brine extracted from the Clayton Valley Playa.  Albemarle Corp. produces about 5,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) annually, but that's not enough to meet growing demand.

Like many lithium mines around the world, the Silver Peak mine is adding new pumps and evaporation tanks to try to produce more of the 'white gold.' Demand for US-made lithium is particularly strong due to tax incentives that reward consumers for buying electric vehicles with domestically produced and assembled parts.

Albemarle Corp. estimates that for every 1kg of CO2 _emitted during the lithium production cycle, at least 50kg of CO2 _would be avoided if each electric vehicle used lithium batteries for a year.

The ideal climate for lithium mining is generally arid , punctuated by seasonal rains. This allows water to accumulate in shallow, salty pools that then evaporate in the summer — a cycle that concentrates the lithium. It's nature's way.

Mining lithium isn't always as simple as digging it out of the ground. Lithium is found in brines, which are water solutions with high salt concentrations. The process involves pumping water out of these brine pools and then using electricity to separate the lithium salts. It can take weeks or months to complete but produces a higher quality product than mining hard rock lithium. 

Below is a picture of a Lithium mine in Nevada, USA:

NASA satellite image taken on January 2, 2023 of the Silver Peak mine in Nevada, USA. (Photo: NASA).

The mine pumps brine to the surface and sends it into a series of shallow ponds to evaporate. (Photo: John Clausen/Times-Bonanza).

The color change in the pond is due to changes in lithium concentration in the water; lighter blue ponds have higher lithium concentrations. (Photo: John Clausen/Times-Bonanza).

Lithium is extracted using evaporation ponds at the Silver Peak mine near Tonopah, Nevada. (Photo: Albemarle Corp.)

(Photo: John Clausen/Times-Bonanza).

(Photo: John Clausen/Times-Bonanza).