Global electrification has driven unprecedented lithium demand, but conventional extraction harms water, land, and carbon budgets. Seawater holds 230 billion t of Li (0. 1–0. 2 ppm) and could convert lithium from scarce critical mineral to bulk commodity. We integrate techno-economic and life-cycle analyses of four emerging direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies—manganese/titanium oxide sieves, KAUST’s LLTO electrochemical membrane, Stanford’s energy-positive redox electrodialysis, and Chicago’s olivine-phosphate intercalation. DLE delivers 70–90% Li recovery in hours versus 18–24 months for brine evaporation, at projected costs of 4 000–7 000 t − 1 LCE versus 9 100 t − 1 for conventional brines, while slashing carbon and freshwater footprints. Key marine hurdles remain: 60 000: 1 Na: Li competition, rapid biofouling (>30% capacity loss within weeks), and material corrosion. Co-locating DLE with seawater reverse-osmosis reject streams concentrates Li 1. 5–2. 5 × and valorizes waste brine, offering blue-economy opportunities for Egypt’s Red Sea and Mediterranean coasts. Real-sea pilot trials and ecological engineering of antifouling, durable materials are critical next steps.
Moneer et al. (2026) studied this question.