Tesla Corpus Christi Lithium Plant Progress! 9 Jan 2025 Site & Operations Update (12:15 PM)
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- Опубликовано: 8 фев 2025
- What a cold, windy and overcast day at the site and conditions made it a challenge to fly the drone and capture smooth video, but I think the results are pretty good! Certainly, we can see enough to now a lot of detail progress on the first half of the plant has been made over the 60 days since I was last able to visit!
Now that we are in 2025, and Tesla announced the first shipment of Spodumene Concentrate-6 (SC-6) have arrived to allow initial testing of the rotating kiln, I think things are looking on track for initial production of Lithium Hydroxide to begin by the summer.
While this first half of the plant comes on-line, I will be looking to see if they begin construction of the second half, or if they will delay this into 2026. In my opinion, Tesla is going to concentrate on just the first half and refine their processing and product while also looking to see what the macro environment for Lithium production looks like before starting on expansion construction, but we shall see soon enough!
I did notice one of the smaller ponds on the north end of the site has been greatly expanded into a large rectangular pond, but it is still empty and under construction at this time Why this pond needed to be expanded to such a size and what the intended purpose for this pond will be, I am not yet sure.
Finally, I did not see the rail spur under construction yet, and this will be needed at some point before processing can begin to bring in the raw Spodumene Concentrate from the port of Corpus Christi. This will run along the south of the main plant construction site but so far, I do not see evidence of this construction yet.
Timestamps:
Introduction & overview with discussion & illustrations: 0:06 to 3:42
Lithium Plant Drone Flight & Narration: 3:58 to 15:36
A few additional highlights:
The rotating kiln and cooler assemblies on top of the massive foundations is are in a state of testing as per Tesla and this part of the plant does look farther along than the other parts, although overall a lot of progress has been made in the past 60 days on the entire great progress on the first half of the production facility.
Clamshells and associated hardware have been installed around the rotating cooler which is most likely related to maintaining the correct temperature necessary to transform Spodumene Concentrate 6 from the alpha (inert) to beta (reactive) material ready for the next step in the processing.
Much of the hydrometallurgical portion of the first half of the facility is nearing completion, including the installation of most of the large tanks necessary for this stage of processing.
More interesting discoveries and discussion in the main video! Thank you for watching and I hope this has been informative, educational, and entertaining for you. If you would like, please consider supporting me via Patreon (link is in the description of this video and in the video itself) so I can continue to make and share these incredible videos.
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Video, photos, illustrations, and commentary on this video is by me, Joe Tegtmeyer unless otherwise annotated.
Music in this video is obtained from the RUclips free and unrestricted and royalty-free use library.
Drones used are DJI Mini 2, Mavic Air 2 & Air 3.
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This factory , though small in size , looks more complicated because you first need to put a railway line so train wagons can come in with raw materials to start the production !
Will look forward to your next visit there
Always have so much information for us. Thank you Joe!
@@JasonEsquivel thanks Jason!
Once again Joe, Thank you for the information. God Bless to all.
@@richardcorwin1828 you’re welcome Richard!
So exciting to see manufacturing in USA!
@@YuenanCao 🤠👍
Thanks for the tour Joe.
Thanks Joe! It’s nice to get the update on the Lithium plant while you’re heading to the Starship launch!
@@Russ1956 👍😎
Thanks for continuing give us video footage.
You bet
Great video Joe. Let's hope it is cashflow positive by year end. It is great that Tesla has a handle of a key component of battery cell making. But surely other industrial companies can build plants in Texas to supply lithium hydroxide.
Between Lithium, Cells, Semis Megapacks new models, Tesla revenue and margin should grow this year
epic video dude. i had a big remediation project with the railroad commission's state operator cleanup in driscol right next door!!!
@@ActingUnit0.8 😎👍
Thanks Joe!
@@YouT-DJ you’re welcome!
Thank you for sharing
Chemical plants, refineries, etc., especially appear extremely complex when scaled up. They take time to build and verify, although one must admit Tesla has not appeared to hurry in this case. Lithium prices internationally have come down very significantly in recent years, while the prospects of tariffs, etc. are growing. It does seem clear that the United States needs to retain (or recreate) mining and refining capabilities for key materials in areas of national need. Perhaps even more important than modern infrastructures is the maintenance of highly talented and skilled human resources in these same areas. Having and maintaining these capabilities - resources, infrastructures, skilled workforces - within the American economy tends to stabilize the international marketplace, while eventually everyone benefits from technological and production/manufacturing innovations. Tesla and other Musk companies specialize in those areas.
In the North Carolina mountains is the largest lithium deposit in the USA. So the new plant should have plenty! Sleep well!
Thanks Joe for the update.
Any time!
Show adoro seus videos e temas abordados conhecimento nos liberta no aguardo dos próximos
Hello Joe! The new Model Y is now available to order on the Tesla Australia web site. "Launch" series. Deliveries from May. AU$63,400 (about $8,000 more than the 'old' RWD Y). Ultra Red is included. :)
no way, the model Y juniper?
Do you have any information about reports of the refinery needing 400,000 gallons of water per day in this arid area? It’s getting bad press.
From a discussion on Joe's Patreon site, that may be circulating water, not water consumed. Wildly variable figures being reported.
@@Luke_Starkenburg I think Bloomberg wrote about the water needed. There isn't any water right now in the area.
They are saying this plant is the reason Trump wants Canada. They need the water from the great lakes lol
@@DessieDoolan They are actually trying to buy 8-10 MGD. They currently don't have a contract for any water. The Tesla representative was warned before that built the plant that we are in a drought and have no extra water and they should build it in Louisiana.
@@joweb1320 Quite the risk to take if water is that critical to the process.
Working on the 8 million gallons per day, even coming in by train it would be 266 tanker cars. No rail connection yet.
Will be interesting to watch this play out.
Joe: do you happen to know if Tesla has plans to co-locate a large solar & megapack farm next to, or near, the facility to serve as a means of offsetting the huge energy requirements the facility will eventually engender and as a power supply reinforcement mechanism should their mains grid supply down for any reason? Given the large amount of land that Tesla owns at Corpus Christi, it would seem truly strange if they chose not to do so. Thanks. 😊
Thank you for that information. How much water will this plant need when operating?
Good to see the infrastructure that will be shared between the existing processing line and the next one in place.
Things like the conveyor tower in place and the pipework from the shared central works are already there. So can build the second line without disturbing the first one.
@@AlanMullett correct! 😎👍
If battery tech changes to something more efficient, is Lithium still expected to be a main component of the new battery tech? I guess I wonder about the long term viability of this plant. Thanks!
@@jacko5376 I think Lithium will play a role for a long time
@@JoeTegtmeyer Thanks!
Thanks Joe, where do they get their water from?
Ponds
@@JoeTegtmeyer What ponds?
Any solar panels on those big roofs?
Thanks Joe for the update. Have fun at starbase and launch 7 of Starship.
Thank you very much!
I remember there was a Cyber Cab there. ❤
nice to see the update. any idea when they will run the rail spur?
Not sure yet
Format -> form
Merci👍👍👍
It's great how Tesla's lithium plant is progressing
👍
Just curious… Is the main building true north? I didn’t know if that was an Elon thing. I remember it being spoken about when Giga Texas was first breaking ground.
"Is the main building true north?" Only by chance. The road grid is north-south and east west.
New build Giga Factories main axis north orientation as per Google Earth.
Nevada is near due north, as are a bunch of other large structures nearby. East by half a degree or so.
Shanghai. 14 degrees east.
Berlin is near due north. Leans west a degree. Also happens to be parallel to the Highway to the west.
Austin. Main building is near due north. Leans east a degree or so. Seems to be parallel to the highway.
Austin. Cathode. About 28 deg east, assuming the long axis is square to Tesla road.
Why didn't they just build this plant at GigaTexas? Seems like they would've had plenty of room in Austin.
Austin doesn’t have a port
Thanks Joe
Cool
luigi we need you for musk
Going down to Boca Chica for the Starship 7 launch?
Yes, here now!
This is going to be a game changer for America
@@COSMEREAUDIO I hope so, or at least the start of a bigger industry
@JoeTegtmeyer there is a big regulation issue for mining in USA unlike China, where they promote it.
Under Trump and Elon, Tesla can become a mega battery producer and supplier.
Why are you calling it Corpus Christi plant. Corpus is 30 miles away you literally are parked 4 miles from Driscoll Tx. ✌️
People have been telling me that these open pools are killing birds.
Have you seen any evidence of that?
@@3DThrills what people?
Conversations online. I didn't demand credentials. Does it matter@@JoeTegtmeyer ?
@@3DThrills yes
Well I got challenged while I was trying to defend Musk, so I was looking for evidence from a source that might have knowledge of the issue.@@JoeTegtmeyer
I realize that you are more of a supporter than investigative journalist, or you wouldn't have such access.
Odd that you didn't simply say;
_No, I have seen zero evidence of any harm to wildlife whatsoever!_
instead of acting like some kind of Gatekeeper to knowledge.
Perhaps they are thinking of the lithium evaporation ponds in South America. I do not know of any plans to build such ponds in USA.
By the way these batteries will be out of date soon with a new safer battery.
@@PtHough details and sources?
@JoeTegtmeyer these new Batteries are being used by all new Toyota cars.
First!!!!
Great video as usual!
👷🏻♂️🫡
Tongethar my family
Old my family chrast my house 33003 sty with me
This plant will be a disaster for people and the Environment
You need more dramatic adjectives and bold letters to make this more compelling … it’s like you’re not really trying … come on, try harder
Enjoy my boys i gone married your fathar
Para você Joe Tegtmeyer seu canal é excelente ótima informação sobre o Lítio ❤❤❤❤uma boa noite de quinta feira dia 09 de janeiro de 2025 horas 19:54 🕔.
Thanks Joe.
You are very welcome
Thanks Joe!
You bet!
Thanks Joe!
Thanks Joe