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Tesla CEO Elon Musk joined Texas Governor Greg Abbott to interrupt floor on the website of the electrical car maker’s new lithium refinery in Corpus Christi on Monday.
Tesla plans to take a position $375 million to construct the ability on the Gulf coast that can assist it safe a home provide of lithium hydroxide, a key ingredient used to make batteries for its electrical autos, and its home- and utility-scale batteries.
Musk stated that Tesla is aiming to provide sufficient battery-grade lithium on the refinery to fabricate a million autos per yr, and to provide extra lithium than the remainder of North America’s refining capability mixed there.
Mining firm Albemarle introduced plans to take a position $1.3 billion in a brand new lithium processing facility in South Carolina in March.
Based on filings with the Texas Comptroller’s office, Tesla particularly plans to assemble a “battery-grade lithium hydroxide refining facility,” and different “amenities to assist different varieties of battery supplies processing, refining and manufacturing and ancillary manufacturing operations in assist of Tesla’s sustainable product line.”
The corporate promised in its filings that “the method Tesla will use is revolutionary and designed to devour much less hazardous reagents and create usable byproducts in comparison with the traditional course of.”
On Monday, Musk claimed, “There is not any poisonous emissions or something — you can reside proper in the course of the refinery and never undergo any sick results.”
Tesla’s battery uncooked materials and recycling chief, Turner Caldwell, stated on the occasion that the corporate would discover “useful use alternatives” for the byproduct of its lithium, which they count on to be principally sand and limestone.
Usually, refining ore into battery-grade lithium requires an industrial course of that features crushing uncooked materials, heating it at a excessive temperature, and mixing it in a slurry with acids. One of many acids utilized in lithium processing sometimes is hydrochloric acid, which is a hazardous air pollutant below the U.S. Clean Air Act.
Caldwell and Musk didn’t disclose the particular chemistry the corporate would depend on for processing.
Final yr in April, Musk said Tesla may need to get into lithium refining as a result of the price of the metallic had “gone to insane ranges.” Lithium costs have considerably declined since he made these remarks.
Nonetheless, China still controls more than half of the world’s lithium processing and refining capability whereas the U.S. has not too long ago managed simply 1%. Musk stated the provision of battery-grade lithium was a “elementary chokepoint” for the electrical car business and others.
Governor Abbott, a Republican, praised Elon Musk as the best entrepreneur on Earth.
“Texas desires to have the ability to be self-reliant, not dependent upon any international hostile nation for what we want,” he stated.
