US-based company Energy Exploration Technologies (EnergyX) has unveiled plans for a lithium project in North America, named Project Lonestar Lithium.
The move is expected to bolster EnergyX's role in the global energy transition and contribute to the security of the US battery supply chain.
Project Lonestar Lithium will be developed in the so-called Ark-La-Tex region, where the southern US states of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas intersect.
The project is expected to produce 5,000tpa of lithium in its first phase, with a subsequent increase to 25,000tpa in Phase 2.
This exceeds the output of the current largest active lithium plant in the US, which produces 5,000tpa.
Last year, institutional partners including General Motors and POSCO invested in EnergyX as part of the latter’s Series B fundraise.
These partners secured first rights to portions of the lithium produced by EnergyX.
The announcement of Project Lonestar Lithium follows EnergyX's acquisition of 90,000 acres of lithium mining concessions in Chile and the launch of Project Black Giant.
Additionally, the US Department of Energy has awarded EnergyX a $5m grant, matched by another $5m from the company, to construct a demonstration plant for lithium hydroxide production from geothermal brines in the US.
This plant is a precursor to the larger-scale operations planned for Project Lonestar Lithium.
EnergyX has collaborated with Kiewet, an engineering, procurement and construction company, to carry out initial front-end engineering plans for the new lithium project.
EnergyX CEO Teague Egan said: “Project Lonestar Lithium will take us one step closer to securing the US battery supply chain.
“This has been a long time in the making, and we still have a long way to go, but it is crucial that US-based companies really focus on developing domestic resources to reduce our reliance on external, offshore suppliers for critical elements like lithium.
“With incredible government and project partner support, we are excited as Project Lonestar takes shape.”
