Stellantis N.V. has announced the investment of over USD 100 million to Controlled Thermal Resources Holdings Inc. (CTR) to advance the development of CTR’s Hell’s Kitchen project. Lithium produced at Hell’s Kitchen will support Stellantis vehicles’ battery electric vehicle (BEV) eligibility for consumer incentives under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
As part of the agreement, the companies expanded the initial supply agreement, which now calls for CTR to supply up to 65,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) each year over a 10-year contract term. This new agreement incorporates the original lithium supply agreement signed by both companies in June 2022 for up to 25,000 metric tons of LHM per year.
CTR’s Hell’s Kitchen project in California’s Imperial County will recover lithium from geothermal brines using renewable energy and steam to produce truly “green” battery-grade lithium products in a fully integrated process. This eliminates the need for evaporation brine ponds, open pit mines, and fossil-fueled lithium processing. When completed, the project will have the capacity to produce up to 300,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent each year.