The Lithium Economy

The Lithium Economy provides a detailed analysis of the global lithium value chain from a variety of perspectives. The first part of the book provides an overview of the lithium market with a specific emphasis on the Lithium Triangle in South America. Subsequent chapters dive into the specifics of lithium mining in the U.S. with topics including U.S. mining laws, the mining bureaucracy, permitting, and the politics of mining in the U.S. The author then conducsts a comparative analysis of lithium value chains in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, Europe, and China. Other chapters dive into topics such as the lithium-ion battery industry, battery electric vehilces (BEVs), charging networks, urban mining, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE). The final chapter discusses disruption to the lithium value chain to include the COVID19 pandemic, global shipping inflation, and the Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Throughout, the author focuses on critical minerals strategy, leadership, decision making, and competition between international actors. This is a comprehensive work for interested readers looking to better understand the topic.