Investor Watch: December 04, 2023

CROSS-BORDER CORRIDORS

We look at companies investing on either side of the U.S.-Mexico border, with insights from the Mexico Institute.

DAKOTAS

They’re coming from organizations such as Grand Farm Innovation Campus in North Dakota and 3M in South Dakota.

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Controlled Thermal Resources’ $1 billion Hell’s Kitchen Lithium and Power Site in the Imperial Valley of California aims to be the world’s first fully integrated renewable power and lithium extraction facility.

Photo courtesy of Controlled Thermal Resources

Analysis by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has found that “with expected technology advances,” the resources of California’s Salton Sea region “could produce more than 3,400 kilotons of lithium, enough to support over 375 million batteries for electric vehicles (EV) — more than the total number of vehicles currently on U.S. roads.”

Geothermal brines hold the key, says the DOE. But then Site Selection readers already knew that, thanks to Gary Daughters’ piece from last year focused on a Salton Sea lithium project that aims to do exactly what the new DOE study describes. A byproduct of geothermal electricity generation, these brines often have high concentrations of minerals like lithium and zinc, DOE says. “While exact concentrations of these minerals depend on the location and surrounding geology, the use of direct lithium extraction (DLE) from geothermal brines offers a promising opportunity to couple clean, renewable electricity with a source of domestic lithium.”

Site Selection has covered lithium and rare earths exploration and production activity frequently over the past few years, both domestically and abroad.

Map: Getty Images

Companies looking to locate or grow existing operations in the United Kingdom welcomed news from British Chancellor Jeremy Hunt two weeks ago that declared full expensing for some plant and machinery investments would be made permanent. Full expensing had been set to expire in 2026. “Future budgets can build on this crucial step forward by extending full expensing to all plant and equipment,” says analysis from the Tax Foundation’s routinely helpful tax policy blog. “When viewed through the lens of the International Tax Competitiveness Index 2023, this reform sets the UK apart,” writes Alex Mengden. “Today’s statement keeps the UK as one of four OECD countries that offer full expensing for most machinery and equipment.”

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Photo César Béjar courtesy of Dezeen and Estudio MMX + Luis Campos via v2com newswire

One of the winners of Dezeen Awards for architecture, interiors, design and sustainability announced last week was Campus Betterware Guadalajara, located north of that city in El Arenal, Jalisco, Mexico. The 161,460-sq.-ft. distribution site was honored in the workplace architecture category for this complex featuring gardens, ample daylight and worker amenities such as a children’s nursery, laundry facilities, gym and even a hairdresser. The campus, designed by Estudio MMX + Luis Campos for the international housewares company, also has its own water treatment plant, including a rainwater harvesting system. Founded in England, Betterware became a 100% Mexican company 20 years ago and in 2020 became the first Mexican company listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange in New York.