Tesla Inc is considering setting up a lithium refinery on the gulf coast of Texas, as it looks to secure a supply of the key component used in batteries amid surging demand for electric vehicles (EV).
The potential battery-grade lithium hydroxide refining facility, which Tesla touted as the first of its kind in North America, would process “raw ore material into a usable state for battery production,” the company said in an application filed with the Texas Comptroller’s Office.
A decision to invest in Texas would also be based on the ability to obtain relief on local property taxes, Tesla said.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said previously that Tesla might have to enter the mining and refining industry directly at scale as lithium prices surge.
Musk has also been vocal about the need for more players in the lithium refining industry.
“You can’t lose. It’s licensed to print money,” he had said at the company’s second-quarter earnings call.
Securing a steady supply of battery components is seen as critical for Tesla as it faces fierce competition in the fast-growing market for EVs.
If approved, construction could begin in the fourth quarter and would reach commercial production by the end of 2024, Tesla said in the application dated Aug. 22.
Under the plan, Tesla would ship the final product from the refinery by truck and rail to various Tesla battery manufacturing sites supporting the supply chain for large-scale and EV batteries.
Tesla also said it would use less hazardous reagents and create usable byproducts when compared with the conventional process.
Lithium prices have skyrocketed this year due to surging demand from the auto sector. China remains the world’s largest lithium processor, although proposed rival projects in the US and the EU have faced a range of setbacks.
If Tesla’s plan goes ahead, the automaker could become the first in the sector to invest directly in lithium refining as the industry scrambles to stitch up deals with miners and refiners.
Battery makers are also looking to increase production in the US, where a shift toward EVs could increase as the country implements stricter regulation on fossil fuels and tightens tax credit eligibility.
Tesla itself signed a five-year supply deal with Australia’s Liontown Resources earlier this year, while rival EV makers Stellantis and Byd have invested in miners around the world.
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