"Tesla has confirmed that its Texas lithium refinery is now operational, marking a major milestone for the company's U.S. battery supply chain. In a newly released video, Tesla staff detailed how the facility converts raw spodumene ore directly into battery-grade lithium hydroxide, making it the first refinery of its kind in North America. Elon Musk separately described the site as both the most advanced and the largest lithium refinery in the United States."
"In the video, Tesla staff at the Texas lithium refinery near Corpus Christi explained that the facility processes spodumene, a lithium-rich hard-rock ore, directly into battery-grade lithium hydroxide on site. The approach bypasses intermediate refining steps commonly used elsewhere in the industry. According to the staff, spodumene is processed through kilns and cooling systems before undergoing alkaline leaching, purification, and crystallization."
Tesla's Texas lithium refinery near Corpus Christi is operational and converts raw spodumene ore directly into battery-grade lithium hydroxide. The facility processes spodumene through kilns and cooling systems, followed by alkaline leaching, purification, and crystallization, bypassing intermediate refining steps commonly used elsewhere. The process produces lithium hydroxide suitable for energy storage and electric vehicle batteries while reducing complexity and costs compared with traditional methods. The refinery eliminates hazardous byproducts, producing anhydrite as a concrete-use co-product. The project moved from groundbreaking in 2023 to integrated plant startup in 2025 by running feasibility, design, and construction in parallel to compress the schedule.
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