DLE tech to propel lithium market to $52B by 2036, IDTechEx reports

The lithium market is poised for a revolutionary shift as global demand surges and industry players seek faster, more sustainable, and economical production methods, according to a new independent report. Direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies are emerging as a game-changer, promising to disrupt the wider lithium market with their efficiency and versatility.

IDTechEx's latest report, "Direct Lithium Extraction 2026-2036: Technologies, Players, Forecasts," predicts that DLE will propel the lithium market to a staggering US$52 billion in value by 2036. This growth is fueled by the technology's ability to meet the industry's pressing needs for speed, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. IDTechEx is a firm providing independent research on emerging technologies and their markets.

As electric vehicles and battery energy storage systems gain traction, the pressure to scale lithium production intensifies. Traditional extraction methods like brine evaporation and hard rock mining, while mature, face significant challenges in meeting this rapidly expanding demand.

Hard rock lithium, concentrated in a few global regions, relies on high-impact mining practices and extensive processing, much of which is controlled by China. Brine evaporation, on the other hand, can take up to two years to extract lithium – a timeframe ill-suited to the current market's urgency.

Enter DLE technologies. These innovative processes use specialized materials such as sorbents, solvents, or membranes to selectively extract lithium from brines. The result? A highly efficient process that eliminates the need for evaporation ponds, significantly reducing the environmental footprint of lithium production.

DLE boasts impressive lithium recovery rates of over 80%, a marked improvement over the 40-60% achieved by brine evaporation. This efficiency means less brine needs to be extracted for every ton of lithium produced, and the depleted brine can be returned to the ecosystem.

The speed of DLE is equally impressive. While brine evaporation can take years, DLE processes lithium in a matter of hours or days. This rapid turnaround gives producers the flexibility to adjust production quickly in response to market demands, potentially mitigating some of the volatility that has plagued lithium prices in recent years.

DLE's selectivity also opens up new opportunities for lithium production. Unlike traditional methods that require specific brine conditions, DLE can remain economical with lithium contents as low as 50 mg/L. This breakthrough makes previously inaccessible sources like geothermal and oilfield brines viable for lithium extraction.

Europe and North America stand to benefit significantly from this development. With their abundant geothermal and oilfield brines, respectively, these regions could see a surge in domestic lithium production, bolstering their efforts to localize and secure battery supply chains.

While DLE still faces challenges, including lower maturity and the costs associated with developing novel lithium-selective materials, the technology is seeing accelerated development and increasing buy-in from lithium project developers. A range of new DLE projects are expected to come online in the next decade, signaling the technology's growing impact on the future lithium market.

As the world races towards a greener future, DLE stands at the forefront of a lithium revolution, promising to reshape the global market and pave the way for more sustainable, efficient, and versatile lithium production.

For more information on this report, including downloadable sample pages, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/LithiumExtraction