The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Metal Tech News - January 12, 2024
Rendering of the 50,000-metric-ton-per-year battery-grade lithium refinery that Stardust plans to build in Muskogee, Okla.
Port Muskogee is on a river system that provides access to 20 U.S. states and global seaports via the Gulf of Mexico.
Further solidifying its plans to offer a domestic supply of the lithium needed for America's energy transition, Stardust Power Inc. has selected Southside Industrial Park in Muskogee, Okla., as the home of a refinery that is slated to produce enough battery-grade lithium for roughly 1 million sedan sized electric vehicles per year.
"When fully operational, our new lithium refinery will both speed America's energy transition and boost Oklahoma's local economy, creating significant new investment and employment opportunities," said Stardust Power CEO Roshan Pujari.
Pujari told Metal Tech News Oklahoma's centralized location in the U.S., highly skilled workforce, and reputation as a pro-industry state are among the reasons Stardust chose the state to build its refinery.
"Oklahoma offers many advantages for private employers, including a strong, well-trained workforce and an eye on the future of energy production and mobility," the Stardust Power CEO said.
"We are excited to call Oklahoma our new home," he added.
While known for being a supplier of oil and gas that helped power the U.S. through the 20th century, Oklahoma is embracing the 21st-century energy transition and is emerging as a major link in the clean energy supply chains.
In 2022, USA Rare Earth LLC bought a 309,0000-square-foot building in Stillwater, an Oklahoma city that boasts a growing high-tech economy, to house a plant that will process rare earth elements and make the magnets needed for EVs, wind turbines, and a wide range of other industrial and consumer goods.
Now, the Stardust lithium refinery will produce lithium needed for the batteries powering EVs, storing intermittent renewable energy, and powering the innumerable electronic devices no longer tethered to an electrical outlet.
By setting up its lithium processing plant in Oklahoma, Stardust Power is eligible to receive up to $257 million in state and federal incentives. The total incentive packages will be based on the company achieving certain job creation and local investment milestones related to the Muskogee refinery.
"Stardust Power's more than a billion-dollar investment is a testament to Oklahoma's 'all-of-the-above' approach to energy, and our focus on workforce development," said Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt. "As we see more energy manufacturers moving to our state, due in part to our competitive, performance-based incentives, Stardust Power's new lithium refinery will create hundreds of new jobs while cementing Oklahoma's place as the best state in the nation for critical mineral manufacturing."
Oklahoma has been Stardust Power's destination of choice since the company emerged on America's renewable energy scene last November with a $490 million deal that will list the emerging domestic lithium refiner on the Nasdaq stock exchange.
The company's selection of Muskogee as the city to build its lithium refinery further leverages Oklahoma's central location between the upstream lithium feedstock supplier and the downstream gigafactories needed for the processing plant's battery-grade lithium output.
"Stardust Power's choice to establish its cutting-edge lithium refinery here underscores Muskogee's strategic advantages," said Muskogee Mayor Marlon Coleman.
These advantages begin with a large inland port that allows shipping along the wider Mississippi River system to 20 U.S. states and global seaports via Gulf of Mexico.
The mid-American inland port town is also connected to the continental highway and rail system.
"The decision to establish a state-of-the-art lithium refinery reinforces Port Muskogee's unmatched advantages and our commitment to supporting emerging industries," said Port Muskogee Executive Director Kimbra Scott. "We look forward to a longstanding partnership as Stardust Power plants its roots in Northeastern Oklahoma."
Stardust Power, which plans to break ground on the refinery before mid-year, is already working with strategic partners to develop upstream supply lines, including the recovery of lithium from oil and gas wastewater, that will help break America's dependence on imports from China and others for the refined lithium needed for the energy transition.
"Currently there is no large-scale refinery for battery-grade lithium in the United States, exposing the country to undue national security and supply chain risk. We will work with oil and gas producers to address America's growing energy demands," Pujari said. "When fully operational, our new lithium refinery will both speed America's energy transition and boost Oklahoma's local economy, creating significant new investment and employment opportunities."
With more than 16 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration and technology metals.
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