EnergyX Scales Direct Lithium Extraction Technology with GM and POSCO Backing

EnergyX is moving toward commercial-scale production of lithium using its proprietary Lithium Ion Transport and Separation (LiTAS®) technology, which aims to solve the efficiency bottlenecks of traditional extraction. By utilizing direct lithium extraction (DLE), the company seeks to streamline the supply chain for electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems. Current legacy extraction methods typically recover only 30% of lithium from salt lakes over an 18-month period. EnergyX claims its process can recover over 90% of the metal in a matter of days, significantly reducing the time and capital required to bring supply to market. The technology is supported by over 120 patents. The company is backed by General Motors, which led a $50 million Series B round and holds offtake rights to support its goal of sourcing 400,000 tons of lithium annually by 2035. Additional strategic collaborations include Eni for large-scale refining and POSCO, which is developing a $4 billion lithium project. On the operational front, EnergyX has acquired over 100,000 acres of mining rights in Chile, where it expects to produce 52,500 tons per year. In the U.S., the company is developing a $10 million demo plant in East Texas, supported by a $5 million U.S. Department of Energy grant, as a precursor to a projected $700 million commercial facility. With the energy storage market projected to reach $546 billion by 2035 and global lithium demand expected to grow to 5 million metric tons by 2040, the scaling of DLE technology could reduce the industry's reliance on slower, less efficient legacy methods.