{"id":6644,"date":"2025-12-29T10:52:20","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T15:52:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/?p=6644"},"modified":"2026-01-07T16:20:01","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T21:20:01","slug":"rmps-lithium-mining-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/li-ion-batteries\/rmps-lithium-mining-map","title":{"rendered":"RMP&#8217;s Lithium Mining Map"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\">Reducing Information Overload in the Battery Supply Chain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As datasets grow larger and more detailed, something counterintuitive often happens:<br>insight becomes harder to find.&nbsp; Over the past year, RMP&#8217;s work has focused on building a comprehensive, location-based view of the North American lithium-ion battery supply chain based on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrel.gov\/transportation\/li-ion-battery-supply-chain-database\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NAATBatt database<\/a>. The result is a single interactive map containing 835 facilities, spanning everything from raw material extraction to recycling.&nbsp; That full map remains essential. It establishes context, scale, and connectivity. But it also raises an important question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How do we move from <em>seeing everything<\/em> to <em>understanding something specific<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This post explains how recent improvements RMP has made to both enhancing the NAATBatt database and evolving our third generation mapping software now allow us to create curated, story-driven subset maps \u2014 starting with this first map of upstream lithium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\">Recapping the Structure of RMP\u2019s Full Lithium-ion Battery Supply Chain Map<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Each facility in RMP\u2019s version of the NAATBatt database is assigned a numeric prefix that corresponds one of six logical supply-chain segments, not just a data category. These prefixes are consistent across all metals and technologies.&nbsp; Each of the six segments fall into the standard three sections of any industrial supply chain:&nbsp; Upstream, Midstream, and Downstream.&nbsp; Every record on RMP\u2019s main database table gets assigned one of these six segment types:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Supply Chain Segment<\/th><th>Supply Chain Position &amp; Description<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Raw Material<\/td><td>Upstream \u2013 mining, brines, raw ore, and primary resource extraction<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mineral Processing<\/td><td>Midstream \u2013 conversion, refining, and chemical processing into cathode &amp; anode precursor materials<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Other Battery Components<\/td><td>Midstream \u2013 separators, electrolytes, foils, additives<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Electrode &amp; Cell Manufacturing<\/td><td>Midstream \u2013 cathodes, anodes, and cell production<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Battery Pack Assembly<\/td><td>Downstream \u2013 modules, packs, and system integration<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Recycling<\/td><td>Downstream \u2013 end-of-life recovery and secondary materials<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Peripheral or indirect activities were intentionally excluded to keep the focus on physical supply-chain infrastructure.&nbsp; To be clear, the NAATBatt database includes hundreds of additional records for equipment manufacturers (122), R&amp;D (105), Service &amp; Consulting (108), Modeling Software (31), Distributors (21), and Professional Service (41) that RMP leaves on the cutting room floor before porting the data to our SQL tables.&nbsp; RMP\u2019s focus is primarily on Upstream, Midstream, and Downstream &#8216;direct&#8217; locations as they are foundational to creating the domestic capability to make batteries in North America from soup to nuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\">The Full Map: Necessary, but Dense<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>RMP\u2019s main North American Lithium-ion Battery Supply Chain Map brings together:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>NAATBatt locations from upstream through recycling<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add&#8217;l upstream lithium prospects &amp; copper mines added independently (+133 records)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nickel, cobalt, graphite, manganese, and iron facilities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Data cleaning to remove malformed or ambiguous NAATBatt records<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You can explore RMP&#8217;s full &amp; comprehensive Lithium-ion Battery Supply Chain Map at the link below:<br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/public_html\/lithium_ion_battery_supply_chain\/\">https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/public_html\/lithium_ion_battery_supply_chain\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is filterable by supply-chain segment and project status, and it serves as the foundational reference for everything that follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>RMP has published two separate posts heralding and explaining how this massive map works and is put together.&nbsp; You can read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/li-ion-batteries\/rmps-lithium-ion-battery-supply-chain-map\">this post<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/li-ion-batteries\/lithium-ion-battery-supply-chain-map-first-upgrade\">this post<\/a> to learn more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even with filters applied to our main map, hundreds of markers remain visible at once. At that scale, the map is excellent for context, but less effective for focused learning.&nbsp; As an analogy, think of 835 data records as 835 people with something in common but each with their own unique story and smaller group of \u201cfriends\u201d or associated records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Making the full map was a necessary step to get \u201ceverybody in the same room\u201d before we have the data to get to know each \u201ceach person\u201d individually and their more detailed characteristics and their smaller subsets within the larger family.&nbsp; It was always RMP\u2019s plan to get to this next step: curated maps of smaller \u201ceasy to digest\u201d groups of locations.&nbsp; This is where the deep learning takes place and what gives SQL its power over data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\">Curated Maps: Same Data, Narrower Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Because RMP\u2019s third generation mapping software is now fully driven by SQL queries \u2014 rather than fixed map logic \u2014 it is possible to easily create specialized maps that are strict subsets of the master dataset, all drawing from the same underlying tables.&nbsp; The word \u201ceasily\u201d in the last sentence is key to prototyping similar \u201csubset\u201d maps quickly.  We look forward to making many more similar maps soon.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first example of a curated \u201csubset\u201d map is our \u2018\/lithium_mining\u2019 raw material map:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/public_html\/lithium_ion_battery_supply_chain\/lithium_mining\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:72px;border-top-right-radius:72px;border-bottom-left-radius:72px;border-bottom-right-radius:72px\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>LAUNCH  NEW  LITHIUM  MINING  MAP<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This new map answers a much narrower question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em><strong>Where are lithium raw-material projects located, and how is lithium actually extracted at each site?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\">From 146 Lithium Upstream Sites to 32 Focused Locations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Across upstream lithium records (i.e. raw material), the database currently contains 146 locations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>102 Prospects<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>16 Planned<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>19 In Development<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>9 Active<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>All 146 remain in the system and are available through filtering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, for the initial view of this curated map, the focus is intentionally narrower:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u2018Active\u2019 and \u2018In Development\u2019 projects are shown<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prospects and most Planned projects are hidden at load<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exception: four planned Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) projects are included<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>That exception reflects a subjective learning goal rather than a hard rule given RMP is assigning more weight to this exciting technology. DLE is a relatively new extraction pathway, and including those projects helps illustrate how lithium production methods are evolving.&nbsp; If DLE scales successfully in America, we leapfrog the entire world in manufacturing &#8216;<em>lithium for all&#8217;<\/em> with much more sustainable practices that protect fresh water resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The result of the narrow SQL query for this map is 32 visible locations \u2014 not because the others are unimportant, but because this smaller set allows the map to tell a clearer story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\">RMP Uses Four Distinct Upstream Lithium Pathways<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The 32 locations on this new specialty map fall naturally into four upstream lithium extraction categories, each with distinct technical, environmental, and economic implications. At RMP, we made a deliberate decision to classify upstream lithium this way\u2014not as an abstract exercise, but to create more meaningful analytical \u201chooks\u201d for querying and interpretation. This required moving beyond a single flat table and developing supplemental database structures that pair with the core NAATBatt records. By using targeted SQL JOINs, these tables allow extraction methods, development pathways, and project status to be queried together, revealing relationships that are not immediately visible when the data is viewed in isolation. The result is a framework that remains flexible, but also structured enough to support deeper, more precise questions about how lithium is actually produced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And this approach is not limited to lithium. Lithium simply serves as the first curated example. With the underlying structure now in place, the same logic can be applied across the rest of the supply chain\u2014from copper and nickel mining, to cathode and anode precursor production, through cell manufacturing, pack assembly, and ultimately recycling. Because these relationships are encoded in the data rather than hardwired into the map, new views can be prototyped quickly to explore different questions and perspectives.  The only thing I really have to do now is decide what I want to look at and design those cool little SVG map icons which are very fun to make. In practical &#8216;map making&#8217; terms, this means we can step back to see the full forest when context matters, or zoom in on individual trees when detail is required\u2014and, importantly, move fluidly between the two using the same dataset.  We have finally arrived at the fun point where the heavy lifting of building our machine is done.  Now, it&#8217;s time to get creative \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking of designing fun new SVG icons for map markers, here are RMP\u2019s four distinct lithium extraction categories shown on this first specialty map:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"margin: 1.5em 0; padding: 0 1em 1.5em 1em;\">\n\n  <!-- Row for SVG + Title (Centered Horizontally) -->\n  <div style=\"display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; gap: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; flex-wrap: wrap;\">\n\n    <!-- SVG Marker -->\n    <div style=\"flex: none; width: 110px; height: 110px;\">\n      <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"0 -900 900 900\">\n        <!-- Fill of the droplet -->\n        <path d=\"M480-80q-137 0-228.5-94T160-408q0-100 79.5-217.5T480-880q161 137 240.5 254.5T800-408q0 140-91.5 234T480-80Z\"\n              fill=\"#8fd3fe\"\/>\n        <!-- Outline of the droplet -->\n        <path d=\"M491-200q12-1 20.5-9.5T520-230q0-14-9-22.5t-23-7.5q-41 3-87-22.5T343-375q-2-11-10.5-18t-19.5-7q-14 0-23 10.5t-6 24.5q17 91 80 130t127 35ZM480-80q-137 0-228.5-94T160-408q0-100 79.5-217.5T480-880q161 137 240.5 254.5T800-408q0 140-91.5 234T480-80Z\"\n              fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#000075\" stroke-width=\"7\" vector-effect=\"non-scaling-stroke\"\/>\n      <\/svg>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Title -->\n    <div style=\"font-weight: bold; font-size: 2.0em; line-height: 1.1; text-align: left;\">\n      Solar Evaporation Ponds\n    <\/div>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- Text Content Below -->\n  <div style=\"font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5; width: 100%;\">\n\n    <!-- Description -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.9em;\">\n      When you see this water-droplet icon on our new lithium mining map, it represents lithium projects that use <em>Solar Evaporation Ponds<\/em>\u2014the most historically recognizable form of lithium extraction. These are the large, colorful, shallow salar ponds often seen in aerial imagery, where lithium-bearing brines are pumped to the surface and slowly concentrated through natural evaporation before undergoing chemical conversion.\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Technique Overview -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      From a zoomed-out perspective, this technique is energy-efficient but inherently slow and land-intensive, relying on climate, time, and large surface areas rather than rapid processing. It serves as the technical baseline against which newer extraction methods are often compared.\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Curation Explanation -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      On this curated map, only three solar evaporation projects are shown\u2014one active and two in development. This is intentional. While there are many more planned and prospective projects of this type in the broader dataset, they are temporarily set aside here to reduce visual noise and keep the focus on locations most relevant for near-term production and scaling.\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Examples Shown -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Examples shown on the map:<\/span><br>\n      \u2022 Albemarle \u2013 Silver Peak, Nevada (Active)<br>\n      \u2022 Railroad Valley Lithium Project (In Development)<br>\n      \u2022 Great Salt Lake Lithium Project (In Development)\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Initial Map Load -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Markers shown on initial map load:<\/span><br>\n      When the map first loads, all active and in development solar evaporation pond locations are displayed. The remaining 44 prospective solar evaporation projects are hidden by default. These can be turned on (and off) at any time using the control panel by checking or unchecking the boxes next to their descriptions.\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Economic Advantages & Disadvantages -->\n    <div>\n      <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Economic Advantages &amp; Disadvantages:<\/span><br>\n      \u2022 Well-established process with a proven track record, similar to the South American model.<br>\n      \u2022 Relatively low energy requirements once ponds are established.<br>\n      \u2022 Highly sensitive to climate conditions, evaporation rates, and water rights.<br>\n      \u2022 Requires large land areas and long processing timelines.<br>\n      \u2022 Provides a useful baseline for comparing newer lithium extraction techniques.\n    <\/div>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n  <hr style=\"margin-top: 2em; border-color: #ccc;\" \/>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"margin: 1.5em 0; padding: 0 1em 1.5em 1em;\">\n\n  <!-- Row for SVG + Title (Centered) -->\n  <div style=\"display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; gap: 1em; margin-bottom: 0.75em;\">\n    \n    <!-- SVG Marker -->\n    <div style=\"flex: none; width: 125px; height: 125px;\">\n      <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"0 -960 960 960\" fill=\"#1f1f1f\">\n        <!-- Circle background -->\n        <circle cx=\"480\" cy=\"-480\" r=\"380\" fill=\"#5CFF5C\" stroke=\"#000\" stroke-width=\"40\"\/>\n        \n        <!-- DLE droplet path, scaled down -->\n        <path transform=\"translate(140 -100) scale(0.73)\" d=\"M270-440q5-15 7.5-28.5T280-498q0-30-15-52t-34-47q-19-25-34-55.5T182-731q0-15 1.5-32t5.5-37h81q-5 23-6.5 38t-1.5 28q0 37 15.5 61.5T311-624q18 24 33.5 53t15.5 75q0 14-2 28t-6 28h-82Zm160 0q5-15 7.5-28.5T440-498q0-30-15-52t-34-47q-19-25-34-55.5T342-731q0-15 1.5-32t5.5-37h81q-5 23-7 38t-2 28q0 37 15.5 61.5T470-624q18 24 33.5 53t15.5 75q0 14-1.5 28t-5.5 28h-82Zm160 0q5-15 7.5-28.5T600-498q0-30-15-52t-34-47q-19-25-34-55.5T502-731q0-15 1.5-32t5.5-37h81q-5 23-7 38t-2 28q0 37 15.5 61.5T630-624q18 24 33.5 53t15.5 75q0 14-1.5 28t-5.5 28h-82ZM480-160q-149 0-254.5-58.5T120-360q0-43 31-81.5t89-67.5v93q-20 14-30 28.5T200-360q0 45 87 82.5T480-240q106 0 193-37.5t87-82.5q0-13-10-27.5T720-416v-93q58 29 89 67.5t31 81.5q0 83-105 141.5T480-160Z\"\/>\n      <\/svg>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Title -->\n    <div style=\"font-weight: bold; font-size: 2.0em;\">\n      Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE)\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- Text Content Below -->\n  <div style=\"font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45;\">\n    \n    <!-- Description -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      This green circle with steam icon represents lithium projects using <em>Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE)<\/em>. The icon\u2014a circular pond with three wavy vertical lines\u2014symbolizes a brine surface with heat or steam, visually distinct from the Solar Evaporation Pond icon. DLE projects recover lithium from both <strong>evaporite brines<\/strong> (12 locations currently in our DB) and <strong>geothermal brines<\/strong> (7 locations currently in our DB), enabling faster and more efficient lithium recovery.\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Technique Overview -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      DLE is generally faster, less land-intensive, and can operate in climates unsuitable for traditional evaporation ponds. It selectively extracts lithium using chemical or ion-exchange processes, providing higher yields and a quicker path from resource to product. However, it requires careful chemical management and significant capital investment.\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Curation Explanation -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      On this curated map, DLE is intentionally the only type that includes planned locations on initial load. RMP considers DLE strategically important, so showing active, in development, and planned projects provides a comprehensive yet focused view of near-term lithium supply.\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Examples Shown -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Examples shown on the map:<\/span><br>\n      \u2022 Hell&#8217;s Kitchen Lithium &#038; Power (In Development)<br>\n      \u2022 Project ATLis (In Development)<br>\n      \u2022 SWA Lithium LLC (Planned)<br>\n      \u2022 TerraVolta Resources (Planned)<br>\n      \u2022 NeoLith Energy (Planned)\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Initial Map Load -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Markers shown on initial map load:<\/span><br>\n      When the map first loads, all active, in development, and planned DLE locations are displayed. Prospective locations beyond these are hidden by default but can be turned on or off through the control panel by checking or unchecking the boxes next to each description.\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Economic Advantages & Disadvantages -->\n    <div>\n      <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Economic Advantages &amp; Disadvantages:<\/span><br>\n      \u2022 Faster recovery and higher lithium yields than traditional solar evaporation ponds.<br>\n      \u2022 Less land-intensive, can operate in diverse climates.<br>\n      \u2022 Capital-intensive and requires careful chemical management.<br>\n      \u2022 Technology is evolving; long-term operational performance is still being established.<br>\n      \u2022 Strategically important for rapid deployment and near-term lithium supply.\n    <\/div>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n  <hr style=\"margin-top: 1.5em; border-color: #ccc;\"\/>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"margin: 1.5em 0; padding: 0 1em 1.5em 1em;\">\n\n  <!-- Row for SVG + Title (Centered Horizontally) -->\n  <div style=\"display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; gap: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; flex-wrap: wrap;\">\n\n    <!-- SVG Marker -->\n    <div style=\"flex: none; width: 110px; height: 110px;\">\n      <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"0 -900 900 900\">\n        <!-- Fill of the hexagon -->\n        <path d=\"M272-120 64-480l208-360h416l208 360-208 360H272Z\" fill=\"#bd7dbd\"\/>\n        <!-- Outline of the hexagon -->\n        <path d=\"M318-200h324l161-280-161-280H318L156-480l162 280Z\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#1f1f1f\" stroke-width=\"10\" vector-effect=\"non-scaling-stroke\"\/>\n      <\/svg>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Title -->\n    <div style=\"font-weight: bold; font-size: 2.0em; line-height: 1.1; text-align: left;\">\n      Lithium Clay (Hectorite)\n    <\/div>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- Text Content Below -->\n  <div style=\"font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5; width: 100%;\">\n\n    <!-- Description -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.9em;\">\n      This purplish hexagon icon represents lithium projects extracting <em>hectorite clay<\/em>. The hexagonal shape serves as a mnemonic\u2014<em>hexagon = hectorite<\/em>. All of these projects follow the same extraction pathway: open-pit mining followed by acid leaching with sulfuric acid (H<sub>2<\/sub>SO<sub>4<\/sub>) and purification, making the process highly standardized across sites.\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Technique Overview -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      Lithium clay extraction is generally more complex than brine methods, requiring chemical leaching to free lithium from clay minerals. It is land-intensive and requires careful chemical management, but it can unlock resources not accessible by traditional evaporation techniques. From a broad perspective, this approach complements brine-based methods, expanding the geographic footprint of lithium supply.\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Curation Explanation -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      On the curated map, only five lithium clay locations are shown on initial load, highlighting the most immediately relevant projects. Thacker Pass is the one to watch, given its scale and development progress. The remaining 30 prospective locations are hidden to reduce visual noise but can be turned on via the control panel.\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Examples Shown -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Examples shown on the map:<\/span><br>\n      \u2022 Thacker Pass (In Development)<br>\n      \u2022 Zeus Lithium Project (In Development)<br>\n      \u2022 U.S. Borax (Active)<br>\n      \u2022 Nevada North Lithium Project (In Development)<br>\n      \u2022 Rhyolite Ridge Mine (In Development)\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Initial Map Load -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Markers shown on initial map load:<\/span><br>\n      When the map first loads, these five active and in-development locations are displayed. The remaining 30 prospective clay locations are hidden but can be turned on or off using the control panel checkboxes.\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Economic Advantages & Disadvantages -->\n    <div>\n      <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Economic Advantages &amp; Disadvantages:<\/span><br>\n      \u2022 Standardized, repeatable pathway using acid leaching with sulfuric acid (H<sub>2<\/sub>SO<sub>4<\/sub>).<br>\n      \u2022 Enables lithium recovery from clay deposits not accessible via brine-based methods.<br>\n      \u2022 Produces solid residues that require tailings or waste management systems, similar to traditional mining operations.<br>\n      \u2022 Greater potential interaction with surface and groundwater, increasing the importance of water and chemical controls.<br>\n      \u2022 Capital- and energy-intensive compared with solar evaporation, but expands the geographic scope of viable lithium resources.\n    <\/div>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n  <hr style=\"margin-top: 2em; border-color: #ccc;\" \/>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"margin: 1.5em 0; padding: 0 1em 1.5em 1em;\">\n\n  <!-- Row for SVG + Title (Centered Horizontally) -->\n  <div style=\"display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; gap: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; flex-wrap: wrap;\">\n\n    <!-- SVG Marker -->\n    <div style=\"flex: none; width: 110px; height: 110px;\">\n      <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" style=\"vertical-align: middle;\">\n        <!-- Outer marker -->\n        <circle cx=\"11\" cy=\"11\" r=\"10\" fill=\"#ffffff\" stroke=\"#000\" stroke-width=\"1\"\/>\n        <!-- Small mountain -->\n        <polygon points=\"3.8,15.0 8.8,7.5 13.8,15.0\"\n                 fill=\"#f28c28\"\n                 stroke=\"#000\"\n                 stroke-width=\"0.6\"\/>\n        <!-- Large mountain -->\n        <polygon points=\"8.6,15.0 13.45,6.6 18.3,15.0\"\n                 fill=\"#f28c28\"\n                 stroke=\"#000\"\n                 stroke-width=\"0.6\"\/>\n      <\/svg>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Title -->\n    <div style=\"font-weight: bold; font-size: 2.0em; line-height: 1.1; text-align: left;\">\n      Hard-Rock Lithium (Spodumene)\n    <\/div>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- Text Content Below -->\n  <div style=\"font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5; width: 100%;\">\n\n    <!-- Description -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.9em;\">\n      This icon, featuring two orange triangles inside a white circle, represents lithium projects extracting from <em>pegmatite deposits<\/em>. The triangles serve as a mnemonic for mountains and rock, emphasizing that these are solid, hard-rock lithium sources. All locations follow the same processing pathway: open-pit mining (except one underground) followed by crushing, flotation, and chemical conversion to lithium products.\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Technique Overview -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      Hard-rock lithium mining is land- and labor-intensive but provides a reliable, well-understood source of lithium. Pegmatite deposits are rich in spodumene, and the standardized crushing, flotation, and conversion process allows for consistent lithium recovery. From a broader perspective, these operations complement brine and clay methods, diversifying the supply chain and providing lithium in regions where brine deposits are not available.\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Curation Explanation -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      On the curated map, only four hard-rock locations are shown on initial load to keep the display focused. There are 29 additional prospective sites hidden to reduce visual noise, but they can be toggled on or off via the control panel for deeper exploration.\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Examples Shown -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Examples shown on the map:<\/span><br>\n      \u2022 Albemarle \u2013 Kings Mountain, NC (Active)<br>\n      \u2022 Rose Lithium-Tantalum (In Development)<br>\n      \u2022 Grass River Project (Snow Lake) (In Development)<br>\n      \u2022 Thompson Brothers Lithium Project (In Development)\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Initial Map Load -->\n    <div style=\"margin-bottom: 0.6em;\">\n      <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Markers shown on initial map load:<\/span><br>\n      When the map first loads, these four active and in-development locations are displayed. The remaining 29 prospective sites are hidden but can be turned on or off using the control panel checkboxes.\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Economic Advantages & Disadvantages -->\n    <div>\n      <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Economic Advantages &amp; Disadvantages:<\/span><br>\n      \u2022 Well-understood and standardized processing pathway based on crushing, flotation, and conversion.<br>\n      \u2022 Provides geographically diverse and scalable lithium supply from hard-rock deposits.<br>\n      \u2022 Generates waste rock and tailings typical of conventional mining operations, requiring long-term management.<br>\n      \u2022 Involves greater land, labor, and energy intensity, with potential interaction with surface and groundwater resources.<br>\n      \u2022 Capital-intensive with long lead times, but produces consistent, high-quality lithium products valued across the supply chain.\n    <\/div>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n  <hr style=\"margin-top: 2em; border-color: #ccc;\" \/>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\">The Prism Concept: Many Views from One Dataset<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This lithium-mining only upstream map is just one example of what is now possible with RMP&#8217;s SQL database integration and 3rd generation mapping software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the database structured around supply-chain logic \u2014 and supported by supplemental tables for extraction method, development stage, and processing pathway \u2014 the same data can be viewed through many different lenses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Upstream vs. midstream bottlenecks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>DLE-only project maps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Active infrastructure readiness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recycling proximity to raw materials<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Metal-specific supply exposure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than building separate datasets, the goal is to let <strong>curation emerge from querying<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\">Closing Thought<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/public_html\/lithium_ion_battery_supply_chain\">full supply-chain map<\/a> remains essential. It provides the universe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Curated maps provide <strong>focus<\/strong>, <strong>context<\/strong>, and <strong>clarity<\/strong> \u2014 not by removing data, but by temporarily setting some of it aside so the remaining pieces can be better understood. You can search the internet for cool maps and you&#8217;ll mostly find frustratingly slow &#8216;haystack&#8217; maps with no chutzpah.  RMP&#8217;s maps provide not just the &#8216;needle&#8217; in the haystack, but an assortment of the coolest needles possible.  And because RMP&#8217;s maps are simple JavaScript (Google&#8217;s native language), our maps are fa<em>sssss<\/em>t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With this new structure now established, the challenge of making new maps has shifted. The software is no longer the constraint; the analysis is. This first subset map represents a milestone moment\u2014where the boundaries are defined not by technical limitations, but by how creatively and carefully we choose to look at the data. From here, each new map begins with a thoughtful question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em><strong>What are we trying to understand today?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That shift \u2014 from accumulation to interpretation \u2014 is where the most useful insights tend to appear. Because RMP&#8217;s mapping software is data agnostic, it means we can apply this same logic to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/public_html\/united_states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">North American Hydrogen Infrastructure Map<\/a>, our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/public_html\/international\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Global LNG Map,<\/a> our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/public_html\/mi_09_ann_arbor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ann Arbor 1,4 Dioxane Plume Map<\/a>, and any other map we can dream up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\">Please Support Our Independent Non-profit Research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>RespectMyPlanet (RMP) is a registered United States 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Michigan, and for more than 15 years we have been building maps, databases, and open-ended software tools dedicated to understanding and protecting water resources.  Michigan is home to approximately 20% of the world&#8217;s fresh water, our most precious resource. The lithium-ion battery supply-chain mapping effort you see here is a natural extension of that long-standing work: applying careful data curation and transparent analysis to complex systems that directly affect water, land, and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like many small research nonprofits, RMP operates with extremely limited financial resources. Over the past several years, we have averaged essentially zero revenue while continuing to absorb hosting costs, software expenses, and the administrative fees required to maintain our 501(c)(3) status. As we approach our 14th anniversary as a nonprofit, we remain committed to keeping this work independent, data-driven, and publicly accessible\u2014but doing so increasingly depends on support from readers who find value in these tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you pay taxes in the United States, donations to RMP are tax-deductible, and any level of support helps sustain the research, infrastructure, and time required to continue improving these maps and expanding their analytical depth. If this work has helped you better understand the energy transition, water use, or critical-materials supply chains, we would be grateful for your consideration in supporting its continuation. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?cmd=_s-xclick&amp;hosted_button_id=QGM8GBL3F8K5E&amp;ssrt=1729548516371\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Please click here to make a secure and tax-deductible donation to RMP<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The post discusses RMP&#8217;s advancements in visualizing the North American lithium-ion battery supply chain through an interactive map developed from the extensive NAATBatt database. By creating curated maps focusing on specific supply chain segments, RMP improves understanding of lithium extraction methods and their implications, facilitating targeted analysis while maintaining data accessibility.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6661,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[119],"tags":[17,41,14,45,30],"class_list":["post-6644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-li-ion-batteries","tag-economy","tag-energy","tag-environmental-protection","tag-h2o","tag-water"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>RMP&#039;s Lithium Mining Map - respectmyplanet.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/li-ion-batteries\/rmps-lithium-mining-map\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"RMP&#039;s Lithium Mining Map - respectmyplanet.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The post discusses RMP&#039;s advancements in visualizing the North American lithium-ion battery supply chain through an interactive map developed from the extensive NAATBatt database. 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