Stardust Power will source lithium brine feedstock from various suppliers and may make investments upstream to secure additional feedstock. The Company seeks to sell its products to electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers as the primary market, with potential applications in other areas such as battery manufacturers, the U.S. military, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). This has led to increasing demand for the critical minerals used in battery cells, such as lithium, strong governmental incentives for American manufacturing and evolving geopolitical climate that is creating a national security priority for the U.S. market.
Stardust Power’s Mission is to Secure U.S. Energy Leadership Through the Production of Battery-Grade Lithium
Government and Industry Support
“By 2030, the United States and its partners will establish a secure battery materials and technology supply chain that supports long-term U.S. economic competitiveness and equitable job creation, enables decarbonization, advances social justice, and meets national security requirements.“ – National Blueprint for Lithium Batteries 2021-2030
Lithium is abundant, Elon Musk noted. The challenging part, he said, is processing it to the point that it can be used in EV battery cells. “You have to refine the lithium into battery-grade lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, which has to be extremely high purity,” Musk said. July 2022
“Direct sourcing critical EV raw materials and components from suppliers in North America and free-trade-agreement countries helps make our supply chain more secure, helps us manage cell costs, and creates jobs,” GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra said in a statement announcing the investment. January 2023
First of all, batteries are the constraint here,” Ford CEO Jim Farley told Yahoo Finance Live (video above). “Both lithium and nickel are really the key constraining commodities. We normally get those from all over the world – South America, Africa, Indonesia.” March 2023
“I hereby determine that sustainable and responsible domestic mining, beneficiation, and value-added processing of strategic and critical materials for the production of large-capacity batteries for the automotive, e-mobility, and stationary storage sectors are essential to the national defense.“ President Joe Biden, Memorandum for Secretary of Defense, March 2022
