Occidental to work with BHE Renewables to produce lithium from geothermal brine

Oil and gas producer Occidental and BHE Renewables have formed a joint venture to produce high-purity lithium compounds from geothermal brine.

Specifically, the partnership involves the demonstration and deployment of TerraLithium’s Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) and associated technologies to extract and commercially produce high-purity lithium compounds from geothermal brine.

TerraLithium, a subsidiary of Occidental, has patented DLE technologies that have the potential to process any lithium-containing brine into a responsibly sourced supply of high-purity lithium.

BHE Renewables, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, operates 10 geothermal power plants in California’s Imperial Valley. The plants process 50,000 gallons of lithium-rich brine per minute to produce 345 megawatts of clean energy.

“This joint venture with TerraLithium represents a significant advancement in BHE Renewables’ commitment to pursuing commercial lithium production that is environmentally safe, commercially viable and leads to good outcomes for the Imperial Valley community,” Alicia Knapp, president and CEO of BHE Renewables, said. “We are excited to be working with Occidental on this incredible opportunity to make the Imperial Valley a global leader in lithium production.”

The joint venture has begun a project at BHE Renewables’ Imperial Valley geothermal facility to demonstrate the feasibility of using the TerraLithium DLE technology to produce lithium in an environmentally safe manner.

After the demonstration, BHE Renewables plans to build and operate commercial lithium production facilities in California’s Imperial Valley. The joint venture also plans to license the technology and develop commercial lithium production facilities outside the Imperial Valley.

“By leveraging Occidental’s expertise in managing and processing brine in our oil and gas and chemicals businesses, combined with BHE Renewables’ deep knowledge in geothermal operations, we are uniquely positioned to advance a more sustainable form of lithium production,” Richard Jackson, president, U.S. Onshore Resources and Carbon Management, Operations at Occidental, said.

Lithium is used in batteries for electric vehicles, consumer electronics and energy grid storage. It is also used to manufacture glass, ceramics and pharmaceuticals.

“Creating a secure, reliable and domestic supply of high-purity lithium products to help meet growing global lithium demand is essential for the energy transition,” Jeff Alvarez, president and general manager of TerraLithium, said. “The partnership with BHE Renewables will enable the joint venture to accelerate the development of our Direct Lithium Extraction and associated technologies and advance them toward commercial lithium production.”

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