Geothermal Power Plants Could Help Produce Lithium for Electric Cars

• Simbol Materials’ proprietary production technology integrates directly into existing geothermal
power plants, extracting critical materials from a by‐product of the power generation process.
• The company’s novel process eliminates traditional methods of invasive mining or evaporation
ponds that require significant land, water and energy use.
• Unlike the large amounts of waste produced by traditional mining, the Simbol Materials’
proprietary process produces virtually zero waste, while consuming CO2, waste water, and
other emissions from the geothermal power plant, further bolstering sustainability and
competitiveness.

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Simbol Materials is already commercializing the technology at the company’s facilities in Imperial Valley
California, an area rich with the world’s most prolific hydrothermal source for lithium, manganese and
zinc.

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Simbol says the plant will have the capacity to produce 15,000 metric tons of lithium annually. The permits are ready, Mr. Burba said, and Simbol has secured the water necessary to operate the plant — no small feat in dry California — from the Imperial Irrigation District, which has set aside water to attract industry.Simbol is raising the last 10 percent of the financing necessary for plant construction, Mr. Burba said, and is working to complete plans of its engineering and selection of equipment. Simbol will initially produce lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, both of which are used in the lithium-ion battery sector. They will most likely be sold to lithium cathode manufacturers, who then sell to battery producers.
But Tesla’s plant is on the horizon, and Mr. Burba said he hoped to have Simbol ready to supply it when the opportunity comes.

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