The U.S. Geological Survey released an assessment on Tuesday estimating that the Appalachian region in the eastern United States contains roughly 2.3 million metric tons of undiscovered, economically recoverable lithium. The geographic area covered by the study includes parts of Maine, New Hampshire and the Carolinas.
According to the USGS, the assessed lithium resource in the Appalachians would be sufficient to replace 328 years of U.S. lithium imports when measured against last year’s consumption levels. The agency also quantified potential end uses for the resource, saying it could provide material for batteries that power about 130 million electric vehicles or support 1.6 million grid-scale batteries.
USGS Director Ned Mamula commented on the findings, saying: "This research shows that the Appalachians contain enough lithium to help meet the nation’s growing needs - a major contribution to US mineral security, at a time when global lithium demand is rising rapidly."
The report noted that the United States currently imports more than half of the lithium it consumes. The metal has broad applications in battery chemistry used for electric vehicles, as well as for consumer electronics such as computers and phones. Last year, lithium was placed on the USGS critical minerals list in recognition of its strategic importance.
In terms of U.S. production capacity, Albemarle Corp. operates the only domestic lithium production facility in the United States. Separately, Canada’s Lithium Americas Corp. and Australia’s Ioneer Ltd. are engaged in efforts to develop mines in Nevada.
The USGS report also highlighted aspects of the global supply chain. It states that China controls the majority of the world’s processed lithium supply. In addition, the agency projects that global lithium production capacity will double by 2029.
The assessment provides a quantification of a domestic resource that could influence future planning for batteries and electric vehicles, while the report also reiterates the existing structure of global processing and the trajectory of production capacity growth.