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Re: Lithium Unit Trains from Ferrum?
Author: FUD
Date: 10-09-2020 - 13:09
For this and other lithium-from-playa schemes: the market for the raw product is a processing plant, most likely in China, that produces the lithium metal and electrodes for batteries. So, containerize at the mine site and truck to POLA for shipment (UP doesn't do shipments by rail less than 500-1000 miles).
If a processing plant is built at or near (trucking distance) the mine site, so processed metal and electrode material is shipped to actual battery factories, again, it's mostly a truck move of the product, though rail options might get more interesting. The major battery factories are in China/Taiwan/Korea (basically, container ship stops), so again, should be an all-truck move from mine to processor to the ports. There are a few N American battery plants, though, chiefly Tesla in Sparks and LG and others in the Midwest/South and, possibly, Tex/Mexico. Telsa hates rail, so supplying them (even if they set up another battery plant in Texas or elsewhere East) is a truck move. The others are far enough away that containerized product might go by rail.
If a processing plant is built at or near (trucking distance) the mine site, so processed metal and electrode material is shipped to actual battery factories, again, it's mostly a truck move of the product, though rail options might get more interesting. The major battery factories are in China/Taiwan/Korea (basically, container ship stops), so again, should be an all-truck move from mine to processor to the ports. There are a few N American battery plants, though, chiefly Tesla in Sparks and LG and others in the Midwest/South and, possibly, Tex/Mexico. Telsa hates rail, so supplying them (even if they set up another battery plant in Texas or elsewhere East) is a truck move. The others are far enough away that containerized product might go by rail.
