Simbol Materials' Lithium Extraction Could Help Salton Sea (The Desert Sun)
There’s a lot to see at Simbol Materials’ demonstration plant near the southern shore of the Salton Sea, where the company is testing out what could be an industry-changing technology for extracting lithium from geothermal brine.
Simbol Materials' David Edwards describes manufacturing process during a visit to the company's Calipatria facility (Courtesy The Desert Sun).
What’s at stake here is a process that could provide the United States with a key source of the high-quality lithium needed to produce lithium-ion batteries used in a range of digital devices and green technologies, from computer tablets and cell phones to electric cars and microgrids.
If successful, the operation could also generate millions of dollars to be used to combat the shrinking of the Salton Sea and the dust and public health threats the drying up of the lake could trigger. A recent study from the Imperial Irrigation District estimated mineral extraction from brine at the sea could pump out $1.5 billion in revenues over the next three decades, at least part of which could be channeled to restoration projects at the sea.
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