Chinese Scientists Develop Innovative Method to Extract Lithium from Seawater

Chinese researchers have unveiled a groundbreaking method to extract lithium from seawater, providing a sustainable alternative to traditional extraction methods that rely on hard rock ores, Anadolu Agency reported citing the South China Morning Post. The study, published in the journal Science, highlights the increasing demand for lithium in renewable energy technologies.

Led by Zhu Jia of Nanjing University and Mi Baoxia from the University of California, Berkeley, the research team introduced a solar transpiration-powered lithium extraction and storage (STLES) device. This innovative technology harnesses sunlight to efficiently extract and store lithium from brine, potentially revolutionizing the industry.

With approximately 230 billion tons of lithium available in seawater—about 16,000 times the current exploitable reserves—this new method could significantly increase lithium supply. Despite the high costs and technical challenges that have hindered seawater extraction, this research represents a pivotal step toward making it a viable source of lithium, aligning with the growing demand for sustainable energy solutions.