Here's Where The Juice That Powers Batteries Comes From

A trip to a lithium mine in Chile's Atacama Desert.

Jan 11, 2017

Bloomberg's Ashlee Vance explores lithium mining in Chile’s Atacama Desert.

Latest in Energy
Security Breach Podcast
Sponsored
Security Breach Podcast
January 31, 2025
Colombia President's Gustavo Petro addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Sept. 24, 2024.
Colombia's President Orders National Oil Company to Cancel U.S. Venture
February 5, 2025
Brandon A. Smith, Mayor of Greenwood; Alex Zhu, CEO of ES Foundry; John R. McCravy, III, South Carolina House District 13; and Dayne Pruitt, Greenwood County Councilmember.
ES Foundry Launches Solar Cell Factory in South Carolina
February 4, 2025
Jesus Cuevas, a Petgas technician, puts plastic caps into a shredding machine inside a recycling center in Boca del Rio, Veracruz, Mexico, Jan. 4, 2025.
Mexican Startup Tackles Plastic Waste by Converting It to Fuel
February 3, 2025
Related Stories
Hydro Fleet 1
Energy
HydroFleet to Build $33 Million Hydrogen Production and Fueling Facility in Georgia
Octillion Power Systems' new Reno, Nevada battery systems manufacturing facility will serve the electric vehicle, off-highway, commercial equipment, marine and grid storage markets.
Energy
Octillion Introduces New Battery Factory in Nevada
Energizer
Energy
Energizer Introduces Plastic-Free Battery Packaging With New Design
Industrial Media Unboxing Video
Sponsor Content
Industrial Media Unboxing Video
More in Energy
Today in Manufacturing Podcast
Sponsored
Today in Manufacturing Podcast
Today in Manufacturing has a new podcast brought to you by the editors of Industrial Media. In each episode, we discuss the five biggest stories in manufacturing, and the implications they have on the industry moving forward.
January 31, 2025
Colombia President's Gustavo Petro addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Sept. 24, 2024.
Energy
Colombia's President Orders National Oil Company to Cancel U.S. Venture
The order comes with environmental concerns in mind.
February 5, 2025
Brandon A. Smith, Mayor of Greenwood; Alex Zhu, CEO of ES Foundry; John R. McCravy, III, South Carolina House District 13; and Dayne Pruitt, Greenwood County Councilmember.
Energy
ES Foundry Launches Solar Cell Factory in South Carolina
The 400,000 square foot facility is scheduled to employ about 500 area residents.
February 4, 2025
Jesus Cuevas, a Petgas technician, puts plastic caps into a shredding machine inside a recycling center in Boca del Rio, Veracruz, Mexico, Jan. 4, 2025.
Energy
Mexican Startup Tackles Plastic Waste by Converting It to Fuel
The startup can process 1.5 tons of plastics a week.
February 3, 2025
Energizer
Energy
Energizer Introduces Plastic-Free Battery Packaging With New Design
The new paper-based packaging simplifies the shopping, opening and storage experience.
January 30, 2025
A data center owned by Amazon Web Services, front right, is under construction next to the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Berwick, Pa., on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2024.
Energy
Big Tech Wants to Plug Data Centers Directly Into Power Plants
Utilities say it's not fair.
January 27, 2025
A floating solar farm operates on the Cottbuser Ostsee lake near Cottbus, Germany, Oct. 16, 2024.
Energy
Europe Posts Record Year for Clean Energy Use as Trump Pulls U.S. Toward Fossil Fuels
Nearly three-quarters of the EU's electricity doesn't emit planet-warming gases.
January 23, 2025
The five turbines of Block Island Wind Farm operate, Dec. 7, 2023, off the coast of Block Island, R.I., during a tour organized by Orsted.
Energy
Trump Temporarily Halts Leasing, Permitting for Wind Energy Projects
Wind power currently provides about 10% of the electricity generated in the U.S.
January 21, 2025
Sheep graze on a solar farm owned by SB Energy, Buckholts, Texas, Dec. 17, 2024.
Energy
Solar Farms Are Booming in the U.S. and Putting Thousands of Hungry Sheep to Work
Sheep can squeeze between the arrays better than lawnmowers.
January 20, 2025
Flames and smoke from a fire fill the sky at the Moss Landing Power Plant Thursday Jan. 16, 2025 in Moss Landing, Calif.
Energy
A Battery Plant Fire in California Started During a Boom for Energy Storage
How and why batteries are booming.
January 20, 2025
Lumin Image Newsbank
Energy
ABB Expands Residential Energy Management Portfolio in North America
The acquisition brings Lumin's intelligent solutions for electrification.
January 15, 2025
President Joe Biden speaks after greeting reporter Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., following their release as part of a 24-person prisoner swap between Russia and the United States, Aug. 1, 2024.
Laws & Regulations
Biden Levies New Sanctions Against Russian Energy Sector
But it's up to Trump to keep them.
January 13, 2025
In this Jan. 14, 2019, file photo, Pacific Gas & Electric vehicles are parked at the PG&E Oakland Service Center in Oakland, Calif.
Energy
California's Pacific Gas & Electric Could Receive $15B in Federal Loans
The loans would help modernize California's grid.
December 18, 2024
A subway driver operates the train's brake lever before entering a station in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024.
Energy
Barcelona Subway Recycles Energy from Braking to Charge EVs
Bursts of energy are sent up to the street to help charge electric cars.
December 18, 2024
Barcelona subway recycles energy from braking into power to charge electric cars.
Energy
China's CATL Plans Major Battery Swapping Expansion
The idea is to swap batteries at refueling stations instead of waiting for them to recharge.
December 18, 2024