Lithium: a critical raw material for our journey to net zero
Understanding the geology and natural resources of lithium will be vital as demand is forecast to significantly increase.
09/06/2021
One of the key pillars of the global fight against climate change, and the route to Net Zero, is the switch to electric vehicles. Every electric vehicle needs a battery, and those batteries are manufactured from a range of raw materials. The most critical battery raw materials currently include lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese and graphite. Demand for these raw materials is expected to increase significantly in the coming years, with the World Bank forecasting that demand for lithium in 2050 will be up to five times the level it was in 2018.
Research is ongoing to develop the batteries of the future, and these may require a different mix of raw materials, but lithium in particular looks likely to be essential for decades to come. Although battery recycling will be increasingly important, stocks of used batteries that could be recycled right now are very low compared to anticipated demand. This means that understanding the geology and natural resources of lithium is vital, as this will underpin exploration and mining for this critical raw material.
The world’s lithium currently comes from two main geological sources: lithium-enriched brines, chiefly in the salt lakes, or salars, of South America; and lithium pegmatites (an unusual type of granitic rock, enriched in a range of rare metals). Lithium pegmatites are mined at a range of localities in Australia, Canada, China and Zimbabwe; but they are known to exist across the world. Lithium deposits can also be hosted by clay and borate minerals in sedimentary basins, such as those in Nevada in the USA.
The British Geological Survey (BGS) is leading a NERC-funded project entitled LiFT (Lithium for Future Technology) which will investigate the complete geological cycle of lithium which will help us to understand how these different deposit types of lithium form.
Research on this project will investigate how lithium moves through the Earth’s crust, to understand the geological factors that influence formation of the different types of lithium deposits. We will study ‘natural labs’ in the USA, Argentina, Zimbabwe, the UK, Germany, Turkey and Serbia to help us understand the lithium mineral system. We will also make use of microbiological research and life-cycle assessments to consider the environmental impacts of lithium mining.
Our overarching aim of the project, in collaboration with many others, is to understand where the best lithium deposits occur worldwide and how they can be mined in the most efficient, environmentally-friendly way possible. Achieving this goal will ensure a secure supply of this critical raw material for generations to come.
The project is a collaboration between BGS, the Natural History Museum, and the universities of Exeter, Southampton and Edinburgh. It also involves project partners from industry and academia around the world.
Relative topics
Related news

New 3D model will help guide exploration for rare earth element deposits in alkaline igneous systems
30/06/2022
A team of scientists and institutions across Europe have developed a new 3D geological model designed to guide exploration for rare earth elements.

Major research project will support UK’s energy transition
27/06/2022
BGS will lead the new research project ‘Managing the Environmental Sustainability of the Offshore Energy Transition’.

New publication shows geological supply of bismuth is greater than previously understood
17/05/2022
A new publication highlights the wide-ranging geological availability of bismuth, a critical raw material that has historically been overlooked in academic research.

UK Minerals Yearbook 2021 available to download
11/04/2022
The UK Minerals Yearbook 2021 provides essential information about the production, consumption and trade of UK minerals up to 2020.

Clean Energy Beneath Our Feet launches at Glasgow Science Centre
23/02/2022
A new interactive exhibition has launched at Glasgow Science Centre, inspired by the work of the UK Geoenergy Observatories.

UK set for groundbreaking underground observatory in Cheshire
09/02/2022
The UK Geoenergy Observatories project will deliver a second underground observatory for the UK after it was granted planning permission on Wednesday 9 February.

Important new report outlines status of geological storage of carbon dioxide in Europe
22/12/2021
The latest news on the status of geological storage of carbon dioxide in Europe is outlined in a comprehensive new report from CO2GeoNet.

Evidence Week 2021
15/12/2021
Representatives from BGS took part in Evidence Week 2021 to talk to parliamentarians about unlocking the potential of geothermal energy in the UK.

Prof Dame Ottoline Leyser visits Glasgow underground observatory
12/11/2021
The Glasgow Observatory provides unprecedented access to the subsurface and will fill in the knowledge gaps around geothermal energy.

The scientists going underground in search of answers to energy storage
04/11/2021
Finding answers to some of our planet’s biggest challenges can require scientists to carry out their work in the most extraordinary of environments.

Foundations for a future net zero city?
01/11/2021
The space beneath our cities can play a vital role in supporting climate resilient urban spaces.

Underground energy storage: supporting the transition to net zero carbon emissions
25/08/2021
Underground storage for renewable energy resources could be a viable green solution as we transition to a net zero UK.