Chain
Lithium Recovery and Concentration
Recovery and concentration join mineral, brine, sedimentary, and recycled feeds to identified concentrates or enriched process solutions without treating direct lithium extraction as a stage.
Stage diagram
Recovery and concentration join mineral, brine, sedimentary, and recycled feeds to identified concentrates or enriched process solutions without treating direct lithium extraction as a stage.
Materials at this stage: Spodumene Concentrate, Lithium-Bearing Brine, Lithium-Bearing Sedimentary or Clay Feed, Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass, Enriched Lithium Process Solution, Lithium Chloride Intermediate, Recycled Lithium-Bearing Process Solution
Facility-line flow trace
| Facility / line | Location | Stage and derived state | Input → output |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABTC Sparks Battery Recycling Facility | Sparks, Nevada | Recycling Under construction | Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass → Recycled Lithium-Bearing Process Solution |
| Kings Mountain Spodumene Concentrate Project | Kings Mountain, North Carolina | Mining & feedstock Permitted | Lithium-Bearing Hard-Rock Ore → Spodumene Concentrate |
| Li-Cycle Rochester Hub | Greece, New York | Recycling Under construction | Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass → Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Liberty Owl Smackover Lithium Project | Smackover Formation, Arkansas | Lithium chemicals Announced | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Enriched Lithium Process Solution |
| Project ATLiS Lithium Hydroxide Plant | Imperial County, California | Lithium chemicals Announced | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate |
| Rhyolite Ridge Lithium Carbonate Project | Esmeralda County, Nevada | Lithium chemicals Under construction | Lithium-Bearing Sedimentary or Clay Feed → Technical-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Silver Peak Lithium Carbonate Operation | Silver Peak, Nevada | Lithium chemicals | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Technical-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| South West Arkansas Lithium Project | Lewisville, Arkansas | Lithium chemicals Permitted | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Tennessee Lithium Hydroxide Plant | McMinn County, Tennessee | Lithium chemicals Cancelled | Spodumene Concentrate → Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate |
| Thacker Pass Phase 1 Lithium Carbonate Project | Humboldt County, Nevada | Lithium chemicals Under construction | Lithium-Bearing Sedimentary or Clay Feed → Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Argosy Rincon Lithium Project | Salar del Rincon, Salta | Lithium chemicals Under construction | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Cauchari-Olaroz Lithium Carbonate Operation | Cauchari-Olaroz, Jujuy | Lithium chemicals | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Technical-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Centenario-Ratones Lithium Carbonate Operation | Centenario-Ratones, Salta | Lithium chemicals | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Technical-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Fenix Lithium Carbonate Operation | Salar del Hombre Muerto, Catamarca | Lithium chemicals | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Technical-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Hombre Muerto Oeste Lithium Project | Hombre Muerto Oeste, Catamarca | Lithium recovery Under construction | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Enriched Lithium Process Solution |
| Olaroz Lithium Carbonate Operation | Salar de Olaroz, Jujuy | Lithium chemicals | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Technical-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Rio Tinto Rincon Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate Project | Salar del Rincon, Salta | Lithium chemicals Under construction | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Sal de Los Angeles Lithium Project | Salar de Diablillos, Salta | Lithium chemicals Under construction | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Technical-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Sal de Oro Lithium Carbonate Line | Salar del Hombre Muerto, Catamarca-Salta | Lithium chemicals Under construction | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Technical-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Sal de Oro Lithium Hydroxide Line | Salar del Hombre Muerto, Catamarca-Salta | Lithium chemicals | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate |
| Sal de Vida Lithium Carbonate Project | Salar del Hombre Muerto, Catamarca | Lithium chemicals | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Tres Quebradas Lithium Carbonate Project | Tres Quebradas, Catamarca | Lithium chemicals | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Technical-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Albemarle Kemerton Lithium Hydroxide Plant | Kemerton, Western Australia | Lithium chemicals | Spodumene Concentrate → Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate |
| Kathleen Valley Lithium Project | Kathleen Valley, Western Australia | Mining & feedstock | Lithium-Bearing Hard-Rock Ore → Spodumene Concentrate |
| Pilgangoora Spodumene Concentrate Expansion | Pilgangoora, Western Australia | Mining & feedstock | Lithium-Bearing Hard-Rock Ore → Spodumene Concentrate |
| Tianqi Lithium Kwinana Refinery | Kwinana, Western Australia | Lithium chemicals | Spodumene Concentrate → Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate |
| COALIA Thetford Spodumene Demonstration | Thetford Mines, Quebec | Lithium recovery | Spodumene Concentrate → Enriched Lithium Process Solution |
| E3 Lithium Clearwater Demonstration | East of Olds, Alberta | Lithium recovery | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Enriched Lithium Process Solution |
| Frontier Lithium Thunder Bay Conversion Facility | Thunder Bay, Ontario | Lithium chemicals Announced | Spodumene Concentrate → Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate |
| Mangrove Lithium Delta Refinery | Delta, British Columbia | Lithium chemicals Commissioned | Enriched Lithium Process Solution → Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate |
| Nemaska Lithium Becancour Conversion Plant | Becancour, Quebec | Lithium chemicals Under construction | Spodumene Concentrate → Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate |
| Nemaska Whabouchi Spodumene Concentrator | Whabouchi, Quebec | Mining & feedstock Under construction | Lithium-Bearing Hard-Rock Ore → Spodumene Concentrate |
| NORAM Richmond Lithium Hydroxide Demonstration Plant | Richmond, British Columbia | Lithium chemicals Under construction | Enriched Lithium Process Solution → Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate |
| Prairie Lithium Saskatchewan DLE Facility | Weyburn area, Saskatchewan | Lithium chemicals Under construction | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Rock Tech Red Rock Lithium Converter | Red Rock, Ontario | Lithium chemicals Announced | Spodumene Concentrate → Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate |
| Saltworks Richmond Lithium Demonstration Facility | Richmond, British Columbia | Lithium chemicals | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Albemarle La Negra Lithium Conversion Plant | La Negra, Antofagasta | Lithium chemicals | Lithium Chloride Intermediate → Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Albemarle Salar de Atacama Lithium Recovery | Salar de Atacama, Antofagasta | Lithium recovery | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Lithium Chloride Intermediate |
| Altoandinos ENAMI-Rio Tinto Atomic Lithium Project | Salares Altoandinos, Atacama | Lithium recovery Announced | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Enriched Lithium Process Solution |
| Maricunga Codelco-Rio Tinto Atomic Lithium Project | Salar de Maricunga, Atacama | Lithium recovery Announced | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Enriched Lithium Process Solution |
| SQM Salar del Carmen Lithium Chemical Plant | Salar del Carmen, Antofagasta | Lithium chemicals | Lithium Chloride Intermediate → Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate, Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate |
| SQM-NovaAndino Salar de Atacama Lithium Recovery | Salar de Atacama, Antofagasta | Lithium recovery | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Lithium Chloride Intermediate |
| Fortum Battery Recycling Harjavalta Hydrometallurgical Plant | Harjavalta, Satakunta | Recycling | Blended anode material, Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass → Natural graphite concentrate, Recycled Lithium-Bearing Process Solution |
| Ageli Alsace Geothermal Lithium Project | Alsace, Grand Est | Lithium chemicals | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| GALLICAM Battery-Material Recovery Project | Dunkirk, Hauts-de-France | Lithium chemicals Under construction | Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass → Recycled Lithium-Bearing Process Solution |
| Orano Battery Recycling Pilots (Bessines-sur-Gartempe) | Bessines-sur-Gartempe, Nouvelle-Aquitaine | Recycling Commissioned | Blended anode material, Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass → Natural graphite concentrate, Recycled Lithium-Bearing Process Solution |
| Viridian Lithium Lauterbourg Refinery | Lauterbourg, Grand Est | Lithium chemicals Announced | Enriched Lithium Process Solution → Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate |
| Guben Lithium Hydroxide Converter | Guben, Brandenburg | Lithium chemicals Permitted | Spodumene Concentrate → Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate |
| Portovesme Critical Raw Materials Hub | Portovesme, Sardinia | Recycling Announced | Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass → Recycled Lithium-Bearing Process Solution |
| Mitsubishi Materials Onahama Lithium Recycling Pilot | Iwaki, Fukushima | Recycling Commissioned | Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass → Technical-Grade Lithium Carbonate |
| Nippon Chemical Industrial Iwaki Lithium Recovery Pilot | Iwaki, Fukushima | Recycling Commissioned | Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass → Recycled Lithium-Bearing Process Solution |
| POLVOLT Battery Recycling Project | Silesia, Silesia | Recycling Announced | Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass → Recycled Lithium-Bearing Process Solution |
| Lift One Estarreja Lithium Refinery | Estarreja, Aveiro | Lithium chemicals Announced | Spodumene Concentrate → Enriched Lithium Process Solution |
| POSCO HY Clean Metal Gwangyang Recycling Plant | Gwangyang, South Jeolla | Recycling | Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass → Recycled Lithium-Bearing Process Solution |
| POSCO-Pilbara Gwangyang Lithium Hydroxide Plant | Gwangyang, South Jeolla | Lithium chemicals Commissioned | Spodumene Concentrate → Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate |
| SungEel Hydro Center 3 Saemangeum | Saemangeum, North Jeolla | Recycling | Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass → Recycled Lithium-Bearing Process Solution |
| NorthCYCLE Battery Recycling Project | Skelleftea, Vasterbotten | Recycling Announced | Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass → Recycled Lithium-Bearing Process Solution |
| Altilium ACT3 Black-Mass Refinery (Plymouth) | Plymouth, Devon | Recycling Announced | Lithium-Ion Battery Black Mass → Enriched Lithium Process Solution |
| Cross Lanes Geothermal Lithium Pilot | Cross Lanes, Cornwall | Lithium recovery Cancelled | Lithium-Bearing Brine → Enriched Lithium Process Solution |
| Green Lithium Teesside Refinery | Teesport, Teesside | Lithium chemicals Permitted | Spodumene Concentrate → Battery-Grade Lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate |
Sources
- U.S. Geological Survey · published Feb 1, 2026 · retrieved Aug 18, 2026 · archive unavailable: No exact archived copy was verified during the lithium Phase 0 source pass; archive backfill remains scheduled.