Arkansas River Ports Could Be Key for Handling Lithium Cargo
Arkansas’ river ports could help build out the state’s lithium industry by moving the heavy equipment that extraction plants need, The Waterways Journal reports.
The Arkansas Waterways Commission took up the topic at its Sept. 24 meeting.
Fred Lewis, director of strategic initiatives for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), briefed commissioners on the industry, according to Journal reporter David Murray.
Lewis’ report covered state workforce and innovation programs tied to the nascent lithium industry and included an update on Smackover Lithium’s South West Arkansas (SWA) Project in Lafayette County.
Where Barges Fit
Lithium is typically processed near the brine wells, and finished products move by pipeline, rail or truck. The Journal reports that barges are often the cheapest way to deliver the oversize equipment the plants require, such as processing skids, high-capacity pumps and power generation units.
The story points to the heavy-lift cranes at the Port of Little Rock and to steel and bulk-cargo handling at the ports of Pine Bluff and Fort Smith.
Commission Executive Director Joe Bailey cited South Arkansas’ decades-old bromine industry as an advantage.
“We have people who know how to do brine extraction,” Bailey said, according to the Journal. “From a logistics standpoint, we’re there.”
The Big Picture
Smackover Lithium’s SWA Project is targeting a final investment decision later this year and first commercial production in 2029. The project recently expanded its Trafigura offtake agreement, bringing possible customer commitments to 20,000 tons a year.
More: Read the full Waterways Journal article for more on Lewis’ report, including battery-chemistry trends and federal production credits.
