From The Center Square - Texas, January 20:
Texas leading in sustainability, job creation, headquarters relocations
The first battery-grade lithium hydroxide refining facility in North America is now operational in Texas.
In May 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott, Tesla founder Elon Musk and other officials broke ground at what would become Tesla North America’s new lithium refinery in Robstown. By January 2026, it was fully operational.
The facility is the first of its kind to ever be built in North America, The Center Square reported. The facility is part of Abbott’s goal for Texas to lead in reducing reliance on China for critical minerals and technology. Under Abbott, Texas is leading in semiconductor manufacturing and development, state-led Artificial Intelligence development and nuclear energy expansion to counter Chinese dominance and threats, The Center Square reported.
Australia, Chile and China account for 90% of lithium production; China overwhelmingly refines the majority of lithium, controlling global supply, according to International Energy Agency and other reports. China also sources materials used for lithium-ion batteries mined through forced child labor in the Congo and Nigeria, raising human rights concerns.
Traditional lithium mining has created an environmental catastrophe in other countries. “Sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide used in lithium extraction penetrate the soil and water, poisoning ecosystems and endangering species. Deforestation, habitat destruction and water pollution further exacerbate the ecological toll. … The carbon dioxide and other greenhouse emissions that come with the process of lithium mining, extraction and overall production are worse for the climate than the production of fossil fuel-powered vehicles,” Mining Technology notes, citing multiple reports.
Tesla’s new lithium refinery is located in the Coastal Bend of Texas, a wildlife-rich region and primary destination of hunters, fishers, birders, ecologists, nature enthusiasts, tourists and vacationers who drive a multibillion-dollar ecotourism industry. The Nueces Delta Preserve includes more than 2,000 acres of wetlands and coastal prairies. There are more than 10 state parks and 150 miles of coastline and beaches in the Coastal Bend region.
Tesla’s refinery is “deploying a new technology platform that is inherently much more environmentally friendly and cleaner. It’s a simpler process. It's a less expensive process,” refinery manager Jason Bevan, said in a video depicting the process as migratory birds fly overhead. The process involves sustainably sourcing spodumene, a pyroxene mineral consisting of lithium aluminium inosilicate, needed to make batteries. The hard rock is run through a series of conveyance systems, goes through a kiln and cooler, an alkaline leach and additional purification steps to reach a crystallization form. It’s then used to produce battery grade lithium hydroxide....
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