The next source of lithium for India’s electric vehicles and energy-storage systems may not lie beneath its mountains but in the waters surrounding its coastline. Scientists at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) have developed a chemical technique that can recover approximately 90 per cent of the lithium dissolved in natural seawater under optimised laboratory conditions. The finding points to a potential new source of a mineral that is becoming increasingly important to the global energy transition.
Lithium is a critical component of rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, smartphones, laptops and renewable-energy storage systems. Global supplies currently depend largely on hard-rock mining and underground brines, with production concentrated in a limited number of countries. This concentration exposes countries such as India, which are expanding domestic battery manufacturing, to supply-chain vulnerabilities.
The attraction of seawater lies in its enormous volume. The oceans contain an estimated 180–230 billion tonnes of dissolved lithium, according to Research Matters. However, lithium is present in extremely low concentrations, making its extraction far more challenging than recovering it from concentrated mineral deposits. Seawater also contains large quantities of competing elements, particularly magnesium and calcium, which complicate the separation process.
How the extraction works
The BARC researchers have developed a solvent-extraction process to overcome this challenge. Their study, titled Development of a Novel Selective Extraction System for Lithium and Application to Its Secondary Resources, was published in the journal Talanta in 2026.
The process begins by treating seawater sequentially with sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate. This raises its alkalinity and removes more than 99 per cent of interfering multivalent ions, including magnesium and calcium, while retaining lithium.
The treated water is then mixed with an organic solution containing dibenzoylmethane (DBM), a compound that binds lithium, dissolved in methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK). The solvent performs a dual function: it extracts lithium and stabilises the resulting chemical complex. According to the researchers, this approach avoids the need for additional chemical additives used in some conventional extraction systems.
The researchers achieved approximately 90 per cent lithium extraction with an organic-to-aqueous phase ratio of 0.1. In practical terms, this means using 100 millilitres of organic solvent for every litre of treated seawater. Dilute nitric acid is subsequently used to separate the captured lithium from the solvent.
The promise and the hurdles
An important feature of the process is its reusability. Tests across five extraction cycles maintained recovery rates of around 90 per cent, indicating that the organic phase can be recycled without a substantial decline in performance.
However, the process has limitations. Researchers reported physical losses of approximately 10 per cent of the organic phase during each cycle. They also found that excessive mixing could cause persistent emulsions, making precise control of operating conditions essential.
More importantly, the technique has yet to be demonstrated at an industrial scale. The study does not establish the cost of producing battery-grade lithium, the energy required for large-scale operations or the environmental consequences of processing seawater and treating chemical residues.
Can the ocean secure India’s lithium future?
India’s interest in alternative lithium sources reflects its ambition to reduce dependence on imported critical minerals. The government has pursued overseas mineral assets through Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL), while domestic exploration has identified lithium resources in Jammu and Kashmir.
The BARC development adds another possibility: recovering valuable minerals from an abundant natural resource rather than relying exclusively on conventional mining.
But a successful laboratory experiment is only the beginning. Industrial-scale trials, detailed cost assessments, improvements in solvent recovery and environmental evaluations will determine whether the technique is commercially viable.
For now, India’s oceans offer a promising research opportunity, not an established source of lithium. The challenge is no longer simply whether lithium can be extracted from seawater, but whether it can be done economically, efficiently and without creating a new environmental burden.
