How to Get Lithium in Subnautica 2
Gotta hate the heat here.
Lithium is one of the most important resources to help you finish the early access stage of Subnautica 2. It unlocks several crucial upgrades, specifically the High Capacity Air Tank and the Scout Ray Chassis.
If you missed exploring a few areas, you might have missed the Lithium, and even a misplaced Scanner Station wouldn’t help you here. Here’s a quick guide on where to find Lithium in Subnautica 2.
Where to Find Lithium in Subnautica 2


The best place to find Lithium, and might be the only location possible in Subnautica 2’s early access, is inside the caves near the Tadpole Pens or the Blackbox – Zip area. There’s an objective that takes you both to the Tadpole Pens and the Blackbox – Zip, during which you can find the Lithium if you haven’t yet.
The cave is 700 meters west of the Alien Ruins, 600 meters east of the Lifepod, or basically in the cave near the Blackbox – Zip. This is important since the Blackbox – Zip location or signal disappears when you reach Blackbox – Zip 2, nearing the end of the early access content.
The Tadpole Pens signal also disappears after finishing the objective and moving to the Alien Ruins.
I suggest going to the cave once and farming only Lithium so you can focus on other resources and avoid going here again. If your base is nearby, it matters less how much you grab in one go.
Getting these Lithium nodes requires a Sonic Resonator, and there aren’t any small Lithium ores you can pick up without tools.
Each massive chunk of Lithium only gives one Lithium, which will make it hard to accumulate. However, this specific cave in the Blackbox – Zip is extremely rich in Lithium nodes – just make sure you recharge enough batteries for your Sonic Resonator to farm all of them.


After getting Lithium, you’ll finally have the option to create Plasteel Ingots using the Processor, which will be needed to craft the High Capacity Air Tank, upgrading your oxygen capacity to 120. You’ll be able to craft the Scout Ray Chassis, which improves the mobility of your Tadpole – it is going to be very important once you explore the Alien Ruins area.