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North America have enough lithium metal for its next-gen battery ambitions?","does-north-america-have-enough-lithium-metal-for-its-next-gen-battery-ambitions","article/does-north-america-have-enough-lithium-metal-for-its-next-gen-battery-ambitions",{"_uid":557,"date":558,"tags":559,"editor":581,"content":591,"excerpt":769,"featured":50,"reporter":770,"_editable":774,"component":775,"seo_title":553,"categories":776,"visibility":790,"author_company":49,"data_vis_image":791,"featured_image":795,"seo_description":769,"author_full_name":49,"author_job_title":49,"formattedDate":798,"formattedArticleDate":799},"43a03f22-7e05-4fba-bd93-6315aef9cdee","2025-03-05 00:00",[560,563,566,569,572,575,578],{"slug":561,"name":562},"albemarle","Albemarle",{"slug":564,"name":565},"arcadium-lithium","Arcadium Lithium",{"slug":567,"name":568},"china","China",{"slug":570,"name":571},"data-visualisation","Data Visualisation",{"slug":573,"name":574},"lithium-metal","Lithium metal",{"slug":576,"name":577},"north-america","North America",{"slug":579,"name":580},"solid-state","Solid-state",[582],{"slug":583,"name":584,"content":585},"didi-bostock","Didi Bostock",{"job_title":586,"image":587,"bio":589,"linkedin":590},"Editor - Energy Transition & Economics",{"filename":588},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/512x512/2c5ca5c1a3/didi-bostock.jpeg","Didi is the Energy Transition & Economics Editor at Benchmark, covering a broad range of markets across the energy transition. His remit spans from downstream sectors such as BESS and EVs, through to midstream such as new technologies and battery production, to upstream critical minerals mining. He also leads on financial analysis across these supply chains, alongside in-depth policy analysis.\n","https://www.linkedin.com/in/didi-bostock-656342198/",{"type":592,"content":593},"doc",[594,619,624,629,634,641,653,666,678,683,696,704,716,721,726,731,736,741,746,751,764],{"type":595,"attrs":596,"content":597},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[598,601,609,611,617],{"text":599,"type":600},"Significant investment into lithium metal production will be needed if North America’s planned production of ","text",{"text":602,"type":600,"marks":603},"lithium metal batteries",[604],{"type":605,"attrs":606},"link",{"href":607,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":608},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/are-lithium-metal-batteries-an-opportunity-for-the-west?_branch_match_id=1544412576328943195&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=share&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXT0rNS87ITSzKzs3MSy1KzCnWSywo0MvJzMvWLzb0DM3KM842D0yyrytKTUstKsrMS49PKsovL04tsnXOKMrPTQUAKOc5fEgAAAA%3D","url",{"text":610,"type":600}," is to be met with domestically sourced anode material, according to ",{"text":612,"type":600,"marks":613},"Benchmark’s Solid-state Batteries Forecast",[614],{"type":605,"attrs":615},{"href":616,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":608},"https://www.benchmarkminerals.com/solid-state/data-reports/forecast",{"text":618,"type":600},".",{"type":595,"attrs":620,"content":621},{"textAlign":49},[622],{"text":623,"type":600},"In such batteries, lithium metal is used in place of the graphite found in more traditional lithium ion battery anodes, leading to significant improvements in energy density.",{"type":595,"attrs":625,"content":626},{"textAlign":49},[627],{"text":628,"type":600},"But producing battery grade lithium metal at scale is highly technical with challenges from both an engineering and safety perspective.",{"type":595,"attrs":630,"content":631},{"textAlign":49},[632],{"text":633,"type":600},"“Significant capacity expansion will be required before the turn of the decade to support lithium metal battery commercialisation if these emerging technologies are successful,” said Rory McNulty, Benchmark’s product director for new technology.",{"type":635,"attrs":636,"content":638},"heading",{"level":637,"textAlign":49},4,[639],{"text":640,"type":600},"How does lithium metal supply compare to North America’s next-generation ambitions?",{"type":595,"attrs":642,"content":643},{"textAlign":49},[644,646,652],{"text":645,"type":600},"In the immediate term, North America’s 250 tonnes of lithium metal ingot production capacity is sufficient to meet the needs of its ",{"text":647,"type":600,"marks":648},"next-generation battery producers",[649],{"type":605,"attrs":650},{"href":651,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":608},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/next-gen-battery-developers-licensing-technology-to-oems-enables-scale?_branch_match_id=1544412580899889930&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=share&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXT0rNS87ITSzKzs3MSy1KzCnWSywo0MvJzMvWT0339TeqKs9yDEyyrytKTUstKsrMS49PKsovL04tsnXOKMrPTQUA90HGHUgAAAA%3D",{"text":618,"type":600},{"type":595,"attrs":654,"content":655},{"textAlign":49},[656,658,664],{"text":657,"type":600},"However, North American lithium metal battery production is set to increase 30-fold between 2025 and 2035, ",{"text":659,"type":600,"marks":660},"far outstripping the capacity",[661],{"type":605,"attrs":662},{"href":663,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":608},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/lithium-metal-deficit-could-limit-next-generation-battery-development-this-year?_branch_match_id=1544412612747460113&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=share&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXT0rNS87ITSzKzs3MSy1KzCnWSywo0MvJzMvWN%2FfwKrNMMc02D0yyrytKTUstKsrMS49PKsovL04tsnXOKMrPTQUAgYDFbEgAAAA%3D",{"text":665,"type":600}," of domestic lithium metal producers.",{"type":667,"attrs":668},"blok",{"id":669,"body":670},"dfb2abfb-1371-4d98-bc3f-30198bdc6937",[671],{"id":672,"_uid":673,"type":674,"_editable":675,"component":676,"fixed_height":677,"use_fixed_height":50,"fixed_height_mobile":677,"fixed_height_tablet":677},"21927957","i-699928a7-1549-4bd5-92d4-3fe538f0a43b","visualisation","\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"ContentFlourish\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"i-699928a7-1549-4bd5-92d4-3fe538f0a43b\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","ContentFlourish","",{"type":635,"attrs":679,"content":680},{"level":637,"textAlign":49},[681],{"text":682,"type":600},"What is China’s position in the lithium metal market?",{"type":595,"attrs":684,"content":685},{"textAlign":49},[686,688,694],{"text":687,"type":600},"Although North America is the second largest lithium metal producing region, ",{"text":689,"type":600,"marks":690},"China dominates",[691],{"type":605,"attrs":692},{"href":693,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":608},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/where-is-chinas-solid-state-battery-industry-developing?_branch_match_id=1544412624795458036&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=share&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXT0rNS87ITSzKzs3MSy1KzCnWSywo0MvJzMvW9%2FVwLsn0CHMsDEiyrytKTUstKsrMS49PKsovL04tsnXOKMrPTQUAkdx2L0gAAAA%3D",{"text":695,"type":600}," announced capacity.",{"type":667,"attrs":697},{"id":698,"body":699},"39639032-be7e-4671-a383-5e7ac32ceb9c",[700],{"id":701,"_uid":702,"type":674,"_editable":703,"component":676,"fixed_height":677,"use_fixed_height":50,"fixed_height_mobile":677,"fixed_height_tablet":677},"21940724","i-d6dbbaa9-c80c-4ce9-b844-3e4d6762e67e","\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"ContentFlourish\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"i-d6dbbaa9-c80c-4ce9-b844-3e4d6762e67e\", \"id\": \"\"}-->",{"type":595,"attrs":705,"content":706},{"textAlign":49},[707,709,714],{"text":708,"type":600},"“Announced capacity expansion plans in ",{"text":568,"type":600,"marks":710},[711],{"type":605,"attrs":712},{"href":713,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":608},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/chinas-battery-industry-unites-in-effort-to-extend-dominance-to-solid-state?_branch_match_id=1544412566965425781&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=share&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXT0rNS87ITSzKzs3MSy1KzCnWSywo0MvJzMvWd690KbDMDncsDEiyrytKTUstKsrMS49PKsovL04tsnXOKMrPTQUAhziMIEgAAAA%3D",{"text":715,"type":600}," far exceed those of producers outside of China, indicating less regulatory and permitting hurdles to capacity expansion,” McNulty said.",{"type":595,"attrs":717,"content":718},{"textAlign":49},[719],{"text":720,"type":600},"Watch Benchmark’s Rory McNulty discussChina’s approach to scaling lithium metal production.",{"type":635,"attrs":722,"content":723},{"level":637,"textAlign":49},[724],{"text":725,"type":600},"What are the challenges with scaling lithium metal production?",{"type":595,"attrs":727,"content":728},{"textAlign":49},[729],{"text":730,"type":600},"Lithium metal is produced through molten salt electrolysis of a mixture of lithium chloride and potassium chloride, followed by vacuum distillation to reach battery-grade level purity. This first stage of this process produces significant quantities of chlorine gas.",{"type":595,"attrs":732,"content":733},{"textAlign":49},[734],{"text":735,"type":600},"“On a small scale the chlorine gas can be used to make industrial bleach,” McNulty said. “But on a large scale, the toxic and corrosive nature of the gas poses a safety concern which presents a considerable hurdle for permitting.”",{"type":595,"attrs":737,"content":738},{"textAlign":49},[739],{"text":740,"type":600},"The energy density of a lithium metal battery increases as the thickness of the lithium metal foil decreases, though producing ever thinner foils at scale is extremely challenging for the industry.",{"type":595,"attrs":742,"content":743},{"textAlign":49},[744],{"text":745,"type":600},"“The bottleneck is high throughput within the strict requirements of next-gen lithium metal anodes, namely a thickness below 20 microns and less than one micron surface variance,” McNulty said.",{"type":635,"attrs":747,"content":748},{"level":637,"textAlign":49},[749],{"text":750,"type":600},"Can innovation help North America compete?",{"type":595,"attrs":752,"content":753},{"textAlign":49},[754,756,762],{"text":755,"type":600},"Helping North America to compete with China, ",{"text":757,"type":600,"marks":758},"innovations in the region",[759],{"type":605,"attrs":760},{"href":761,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":608},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/china-leads-production-but-the-west-is-catching-up-new-battery-technology-2024-in-review?_branch_match_id=1544412571843297549&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=share&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXT0rNS87ITSzKzs3MSy1KzCnWSywo0MvJzMvW9ylzKzD1jwiKCEiyrytKTUstKsrMS49PKsovL04tsnXOKMrPTQUAitH%2FQkgAAAA%3D",{"text":763,"type":600}," could help to overcome some of the challenges associated with lithium metal production.",{"type":595,"attrs":765,"content":766},{"textAlign":49},[767],{"text":768,"type":600},"“Such innovations could enable a technological leap for North American players,” McNulty said, adding that “supply and offtake agreements are more important than announced capacity.”","Significant investment into lithium metal production will be needed if North America’s planned production of lithium metal batteries is to be met with domestically sourced anode material, according to Benchmark’s Solid-state Batteries Forecast. In such batteries, lithium metal is used in place of the graphite found in more traditional lithium ion battery anodes, leading to […]",[771],{"slug":583,"name":584,"content":772},{"job_title":586,"image":773,"bio":589,"linkedin":590},{"filename":588},"\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"43a03f22-7e05-4fba-bd93-6315aef9cdee\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","article",[777,779,782,785,788],{"slug":778,"name":265},"anode",{"slug":780,"name":781},"batteries","Batteries",{"slug":783,"name":784},"battery-technology","Battery Technology",{"slug":786,"name":787},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals",{"slug":789,"name":8},"lithium","private",{"id":49,"alt":677,"name":677,"focus":677,"title":677,"source":677,"filename":792,"copyright":677,"fieldtype":793,"meta_data":794,"is_external_url":51},"https://res.cloudinary.com/benchmarkminerals/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1741183440/www-production/North-America-vs-China-Lithium-Metal-Capacity@2x/North-America-vs-China-Lithium-Metal-Capacity@2x.png?_i=AA","asset",{"alt":677,"title":677,"source":677,"copyright":677},{"id":49,"alt":677,"name":677,"focus":677,"title":677,"source":677,"filename":796,"copyright":677,"fieldtype":793,"meta_data":797,"is_external_url":51},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/83604999e1/bm-arcadium-lithium-foil-13368699e7d5.jpg",{"alt":677,"title":677,"source":677,"copyright":677},"Mar 05, 2025","5th March 2025",[],[],1790082808998]