A study has uncovered significant amounts of lithium in the wastewater produced from hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, throughout Pennsylvania. This discovery could give the U.S. a sizable domestic supply of a critical mineral that is vital for producing renewable energy technology, which heavily relies on lithium for the production of batteries used in electric vehicles and clean power storage.
The global demand for lithium is expected to increase 42-fold over the next two decades. Meanwhile, countries around the globe shift toward greener energy solutions. However, in Pennsylvania alone, the lithium present in fracking wastewater could potentially meet 40% of the United States’ domestic needs.
The presence of lithium in this wastewater can be traced back to ancient volcanic eruptions that occurred millions of years ago during the age of the dinosaurs. The volcanic ash from these eruptions contained lithium, which gradually seeped into the groundwater.
Today, this lithium-rich water is being brought to the surface through fracking operations initially intended for fossil fuel extraction.
Environmentalists have expressed concerns that oil companies might leverage this finding to advocate for increased drilling activities.
The wells producing the lithium-rich wastewater are predicted to see an 80% decline in output within the first two years of extraction. Maintaining a steady lithium supply would therefore require continuous fracking operations, raising questions on environmental impacts and long-term sustainability of this process.
