"African Lithium Producers Risk Export Setback as U.S. Develops Alternative Extraction Model"

" African Lithium Producers Risk Export Setback as U.S. Develops Alternative Extraction Model \r\n \r\n\r\nAfrican lithium producers could soon face major competition as the United States (U.S.) invests in new ways to produce the mineral without traditional mining.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nA cleantech startup in the U.S. may soon upend the global lithium trade, a move that would leave many African lithium producers, once hailed as\u00a0 future tech powerhouses , on the sidelines.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n Lilac Solutions , based in Oakland, is developing a method to extract lithium from briny sources such as oilfield wastewater and salt lakes, rather than traditional mining.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nAccording to a statement by Lilac Solutions, the company successfully completed its lithium extraction pilot at Utah\u2019s Great Salt Lake, achieving 87% lithium recovery and 99.97% impurity rejection, surpassing design targets.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nThe planned commercial facility will produce 5,000 tonnes per annum of lithium carbonate equivalent, doubling U.S. lithium output.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nIf successful, this approach could dwarf the export-driven strategies of African nations relying on spodumene and concentrate production.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nLithium, often called the \u201cwhite gold\u201d of the energy transition, is essential for powering the modern world. It\u2019s a key component in rechargeable batteries used in\u00a0 electric vehicles,\u00a0 smartphones, and renewable energy storage systems, making it crucial to global efforts to shift toward cleaner, low-carbon energy solutions.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nAccording to a report by\u00a0 Forbes, \u00a0Lilac is raising around $250 million to build its first commercial facility in Nevada and Utah.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nAt the Great Salt Lake, the company expects to produce 5,000 metric tons of lithium per year by 2028. Lilac claims its ion-exchange technology can recover more than 90% of lithium from brine while cutting construction costs by half.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nThis model offers compelling advantages: lower capital costs, reduced environmental footprint, and proximity to end markets. Meanwhile, the U.S. federal government is backing domestic lithium projects through direct investments, accelerating America\u2019s push to r educe its dependence on Chinese-controlled supply chains. \r\n \r\n\r\nIf Lilac\u2019s approach scales, the U.S. could pivot from importer to a top-tier lithium supplier\u2014potentially overshadowing many African producers who depend heavily on export earnings tied to conventional mining.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n Africa\u2019s lithium exporters may face a reckoning \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nZimbabwe, Africa\u2019s leading lithium exporter, shipped 586,197 tonnes of spodumene concentrate in the first half of 2025, up from 451,824 tonnes during the same period in 2024.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nSpodumene concentrate is a lithium-rich mineral product that serves as a key raw material in the production of lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, which are essential for manufacturing rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, smartphones, and renewable energy storage systems.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nThe country also plans to\u00a0 ban exports of lithium concentrate \u00a0beginning in 2027 as part of a push to deepen its domestic value chain.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nThough exports have risen, most African producers remain locked into selling raw or minimally processed lithium, primarily to Chinese refiners. The continent holds about 6% of global lithium reserves, with significant deposits in Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Ghana, and Namibia.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nMany of these nations rely heavily on lithium export revenues. Zimbabwe, for instance, earned a record $600 million in lithium exports in 2024. But governments now worry that technological disruption from direct lithium extraction (DLE) could erode their competitive edge unless they move up the\u00a0 value chain into refining \u00a0and battery component manufacturing.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nIf Lilac\u2019s model proves viable, it could trigger a fundamental reshuffling of lithium geopolitics. Countries that once expected to profit from mining might find themselves edged out by energy economies that extract minerals more cleanly and flexibly.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nAfrica\u2019s window of opportunity is narrowing fast, it must invest in refining, processing, and innovation before old assumptions about resource control are overturned.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n "

"African Lithium Producers Risk Export Setback as U.S. Develops Alternative Extraction Model"

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