La Découverte qui Devrait Rendre les États-Unis Encore Plus Riches

Sympa

Une découverte révolutionnaire a été faite aux États-Unis : le plus grand gisement de lithium au monde a été trouvé à l'intérieur d'un ancien supervolcan à la frontière entre le Nevada et l'Oregon. La caldeira de McDermitt renferme environ 40 millions de tonnes métriques de lithium, soit près de la moitié des réserves mondiales connues et deux fois plus que les célèbres salines de Bolivie. Étant donné que le lithium est essentiel pour les batteries des smartphones, des ordinateurs portables et des véhicules électriques, cette découverte pourrait remodeler la chaîne d'approvisionnement mondiale. Avec une demande de lithium qui devrait grimper en flèche de dix fois d'ici 2050, les États-Unis pourraient enfin réduire leur dépendance vis-à-vis des fournisseurs étrangers, en particulier la Chine. En 2022, l'Amérique a importé 70 % de ses batteries au lithium-ion, mais cette découverte pourrait tout changer. Si l'exploitation minière commence comme prévu en 2026, les États-Unis pourraient devenir un acteur majeur de l'industrie du lithium, alimentant à la fois l'innovation et la croissance économique.  Animation créée par Sympa. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Musique par Epidemic Sound https://www.epidemicsound.com   Pour ne rien perdre de Sympa, abonnez-vous!: https://goo.gl/6E4Xna​ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nos réseaux sociaux : Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sympasympacom/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sympa.officiel/  Stock de fichiers (photos, vidéos et autres): https://www.depositphotos.com https://www.shutterstock.com https://www.eastnews.ru ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Si tu en veux encore plus, fais un tour ici:  http://sympa-sympa.com

Transcript

00:00This region could well be, at present, the most strategic place in the United States, with a value exceeding the billion dollars.

00:08An element of a rare preciousness is hidden here, in Thacker Pass,

00:12and its exploitation risks provoking upheavals, not only for Nevada, but also for the country's economy and international relations.

00:21The Caldera of McDermitt extends over about 45 km long and 35 km wide,

00:27occupying a part of northern Nevada and southern Oregon.

00:30Located in Humboldt County, a peaceful and rural region,

00:34it houses a single main city which, in 5 to 10 years, will undergo a major transformation.

00:40The reason for this is simple.

00:41White gold has been discovered there, in other words, lithium.

00:45And to understand the importance of this metal, an experience is enough.

00:49Imagine a scale. On one side, a fragment of lithium, on the other, an apple.

00:54In your opinion, what will happen?

00:56If both occupy the same volume, the balance needle will tilt to the side of the apple.

01:02Lithium is indeed of exceptional lightness.

01:05With a density of about 0.534 g per cubic centimeter, it is the lightest solid existing at room temperature.

01:13It is also of extreme reactivity.

01:16It easily combines with other elements and ignites just as easily.

01:20In contact with water, fire, exposed to air, again flames.

01:25However, this unique combination of lightness and reactivity makes it an ideal material for batteries.

01:31Those that power your smartphone, your laptop, even your electric vehicle.

01:38For 16 million years, Nevada has kept this unsuspected deposit.

01:42The Caldera of McDermitt was once an active volcanic zone,

01:46projecting lava flows and giving birth to a vast lake saturated with minerals.

01:51Over time, this lake dried up, leaving behind huge strata of lithium-rich clay.

01:58At present, the mine of Thacker Pass is based on one of the largest unused lithium reserves in the world,

02:05estimated at nearly 1,500 billion dollars.

02:08If the project goes as planned, its annual production should reach about 40,000 tons of high purity lithium.

02:15This would allow the manufacture of batteries for nearly 800,000 electric vehicles.

02:20As mentioned earlier, this metal constitutes the key element of modern batteries.

02:25And, while the world is gradually moving away from thermal cars,

02:28the demand for lithium is on the rise.

02:32Since 2020, its price has been multiplied by more than 10,

02:35making it the most expensive battery metal in the world.

02:38It is now much more expensive than magnesium, nickel, cobalt and other rechargeable battery components.

02:45Currently, the world's annual consumption is around 1,160,000 tons of lithium,

02:51of which about 85% is intended for the manufacture of batteries, mainly for the automotive sector.

02:58Between 2030 and 2040, analysts estimate that investments in production will have to be doubled,

03:03going from $80-14 billion to $188 billion.

03:09At the same time, battery-related financing will experience an increase of more than 200%,

03:14reaching $686 billion.

03:17Finally, by 2050, the global demand for lithium should exceed the current production levels by more than 10 times.

03:25I am aware that these figures are numerous,

03:28but they illustrate the central role that Tacker Pass will play on a global scale.

03:33This mine will become an essential link in the maintenance of many sectors,

03:38notably because a major part of the future demand will concern cars, bikes and electric scooters,

03:44as well as the storage of renewable energies.

03:47Nevada could also be at the heart of a global energy revolution.

03:52The United States has set itself the goal of reducing their pollutant emissions by 50% by 2030

03:58and is one of the main levers of rest on the replacement of thermal vehicles.

04:03For this goal to come true, the United States will have to produce much more lithium than at present.

04:09Today, most of the metal used on their territory comes from countries like Chile and Argentina.

04:15If they aspire to impose themselves as a major player on this market,

04:18they must therefore intensify their investments in such projects.

04:21But another obstacle arises.

04:24Extracting lithium from a mine is one thing,

04:27but turning it into an exploitable product is another.

04:31In the same way that diamonds must be meticulously cut and polished to reveal their splinters,

04:36lithium requires a specific refining process.

04:40The raw ore from the mines must be purified before it can be actually used in our electric batteries.

04:47However, this sector is largely dominated by China,

04:50which provides about 75% of the world's production of lithium-ion batteries.

04:55In other words, even when a country discovers important reserves on its territory,

05:00it remains strongly dependent on China for its refining.

05:03This is why the United States is actively seeking to secure their supply chain,

05:08to such an extent that the authorities have agreed to more than $2 billion in loans to finance the Nevada project.

05:14Such an initiative could allow Tacker Pass to propel the country to the rank of world leader in the production of lithium.

05:21If the estimates are accurate,

05:23McDermitt's Caldera would contain nearly half of the world's known lithium reserves.

05:28Such a deposit would represent almost double the resources identified in Bolivia's salines,

05:33which had so far broken the record for the largest depot in the world.

05:37This discovery is about to transform Humboldt County into a sustainable one.

05:41These peaceful streets bordered by nature will never be the same again.

05:45Mining exploitation will require the hiring of about 2,000 workers,

05:49who will probably come from other regions.

05:51These new inhabitants will need housing, medical infrastructure, school establishments, and many services.

05:58Do you see the domino effect?

06:00For each employee recruited on the site during the construction phase,

06:03six other jobs will be created in the state to support this expansion.

06:07Tacker Pass will also have a major impact on the economy,

06:11not only in Nevada, but on a national scale.

06:14The mine should remain in operation for 35 years,

06:17and generate, each year, revenues estimated at more than $2 billion.

06:21But here is the real challenge.

06:23At Tacker Pass, lithium will be extracted from clay.

06:27A process that has never been implemented on such a scale.

06:31It is therefore an uncertain attempt.

06:33However, if the operation succeeds, it could shake up the entire sector.

06:38Big question, who is interested in all this?

06:41Three large companies are looking at the lithium market in the United States.

06:45First, ExxonMobil.

06:47This oil giant aims to start its lithium production by 2027,

06:52and aims to become the main battery supplier for electric vehicles by 2030.

06:57Then, General Motors.

07:00The group behind emblematic brands like Chevrolet and Cadillac.

07:04The company is so committed to this industry,

07:06that it has agreed to pay $625 million to acquire 38% of Tacker Pass.

07:13And finally, Tesla.

07:15In 2023, the company launched the construction of a plant in Texas

07:18dedicated to lithium treatment.

07:20This initiative is part of its desire to better control its supply chain.

07:25Now that you understand the importance of lithium,

07:28you may be wondering what if it was missing?

07:31This possibility is very real.

07:33Because, like gold, it is a limited resource from mining.

07:38However, this would not mean the end of smartphones or electric cars.

07:43In the event of a shortage, humanity would certainly find other solutions to produce batteries.

07:48Moreover, some experts believe that thermal batteries could well constitute the next revolution.

07:54They allow to store excess energy from renewable sources,

07:57such as wind and solar, which are inexpensive.

08:01Thus, they offer an approachable alternative to energy storage.

08:05Today, they are mainly used in the industry,

08:08especially for the production of steel, cement and chemical products.

08:13These batteries are also used to heat and cool large buildings.

08:17However, more and more projects seek to integrate them into private spaces,

08:21such as houses and apartments.

08:23Experts are convinced that these initiatives could democratize this technology,

08:28to the point of making it as familiar as electric batteries,

08:31and make it an essential element of our daily lives.

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