Survey suggests province heavily rich in lithium deposits

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on March 26, 2026.

Results from an Alberta Geological Survey estimates the province is sitting on more than 82 million tonnes of lithium carbonate, a key inorganic compound used to make lithium-ion batteries.

According to the survey, the province could potentially have the third largest reserve of lithium carbonate currently discovered in the world.

“The scale of this resource puts Alberta in a position few jurisdictions can match,” said Premier Danielle Smith. “We have the expertise and infrastructure to lead its development and we will.”

Global demand continues to rise driven by batteries, energy storage as well as advanced technologies and is also on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicine for its efficacy in the treatment of mood disorders like bipolar disorder.

Smith says work is already underway to attract new investments and improve regulatory processes to support critical mineral development, and says the province is planning to start processing the inorganic compounds next year.

“Several Alberta companies are advancing technologies to extract lithium from brines, with commercial production possible as early as 2027,” reads a press release.

The province says it has identified two million hectares of land being leased for lithium exploration.

“Lithium has the potential to be a cornerstone of Alberta’s economic future,” said Energy and Minerals Minister Brain Jean. “With world-class lithium resources and responsible development, we can power global clean energy, create jobs, attract investment and strengthen secure supply chains for our partners and allies.”

The province says the potential of the lithium supply could theoretically equate to approximately US $1 trillion in revenue and could supply lithium for more than 10 billion electric vehicle battery packs.

Alex MacNeil, principal geoscientist and head of the Alberta Geological Survey, says almost 95 per cent of the province’s lithium recourse is found in the Devonian Leduc Formation.

“A unit with world-class geological properties that helped launch Alberta’s oil industry in 1947,” says MacNeil.

Other important minerals discovered in Alberta include iron, vanadium, petroleum coke, uranium and other rare earth elements.