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The demand for lithiumion batteries for electric vehicles , storage systems and electronic devices is the main driver of lithium mining globally .
Worldwide lithium production in 2022 increased year on year by 23 %, to approximately 130,000 tonnes . Every 100,000 metric tonnes of lithium is enough to manufacture an estimated 12,500,000 EV batteries .
Lithium is also a key component of alloys , being combined both with aluminium and magnesium for strength and lightness .
It is mined in multiple ways . Because lithium is highly soluble , it ’ s present in sea water , which is why it is commonly obtained from brines . The traditional way to extract lithium from brine is through evaporation ponds .
The biggest lithium producers in the world are Australia ( 55,000 metric tons ), Chile ( 26,000 ) and China ( 14,000 ).
The following are the biggest lithium mining companies , rated by market capitalisation . miningdigital . com 27