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EDMONTON – A recent Alberta Geological Survey report confirms the province is sitting on one of the largest lithium resources in the world.

According to a release from the provincial government, the report estimates Alberta has 82.5 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent in place, with potentially the third-largest reserves in the world.  

“Global demand for lithium is accelerating, driven by batteries, energy storage and advanced technologies,” it reads. “Alberta is taking action to turn this potential into a new industry. Work is underway to attract investment, improve regulatory processes and introduce new incentives to support critical minerals development, with a targeted launch in 2027.”

The province is also working to expand access to Crown land, following consultation, in order to support exploration.

Several Alberta companies are advancing technologies to extract lithium from brines, with commercial production possible as early as 2027. About two million hectares are currently leased for lithium exploration, the release notes.

Alberta’s in-place lithium carbonate equivalent resources have the potential to supply lithium for more than 10 billion electric vehicle battery packs.

“Most of the minerals included on Canada’s critical minerals list are found in Alberta, including iron, vanadium, rare earth elements, petroleum coke for synthetic graphite production and uranium,” the release adds.