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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