Скачать или смотреть Inside Look: Tesla's Lithium Refinery Begins Production

...Source: https://electrek.co/?p=451403 Transcript: According to Electrek, Tesla has officially kicked off production at its new lithium refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas — and it's a first of its kind in North America. The facility turns spodumene, a hard rock ore, into battery-grade lithium hydroxide using a new acid-free process that avoids the hazardous byproducts typical in traditional refining methods.

This refinery marks a major move for Tesla, which built the plant in record-breaking time. From breaking ground in 2023 to full startup in 2025, the project came online in just two years — a process that usually takes five to ten years in the mining and refining world.

The new method also generates a sand-and-limestone byproduct that Tesla is repurposing for concrete, making it both cleaner and more efficient. CEO Elon Musk has long argued that lithium refining is a “license to print money” due to supply bottlenecks. While lithium prices have dipped since Tesla first announced the project, they’ve been climbing again recently — and this new plant could give the automaker a strategic edge in controlling its battery supply chain.