Optimization of processing costs can make lithium extraction from clay competitive to conventional sources of brines and hard rock ores

Lithium is a critical material for current and future battery technologies. Commercial production primarily relies on hard rock deposits (e.g., in Australia, China, Zimbabwe) and brines (e.g., in Chile, Argentina). This study evaluates the economic viability of lithium extraction from clay, the third largest lithium resource globally, by analyzing seven proposed North American projects employing three different extraction technologies. We benchmark levelized production costs for clay extraction against North American brine and hard rock projects, as well as global averages. Our findings indicate that clay-based lithium extraction can be between 20% and 100% more expensive, depending on extraction technology and process flow. However, we propose pathways that can improve cost-competitiveness relative to conventional sources through optimization major cost drivers such as reagents, power consumption, or processing capital expenditures.