The Union Ministry of Mines said that it has discovered 5.9 million tonnes of lithium reserves in the Reasi District of Jammu and Kashmir, Union territory of India. This is the first major lithium reserve that has been found in India.
On February 9, India’s Ministry of Mines announced that
the Geological Survey of India has located 5.9 million tonnes of lithium
resources in the Salal-Haimana area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district. This
is a first lithium reserve in the country.
Lithium is a crucial mineral for the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and solar
panels. Lithium is also called ‘white gold’ because it is a key component of
electric batteries. Now, India has its own lithium reserves, it wouldn't need to rely
as heavily on imports as it does now to meet its demands.
Last year, Atomic Minerals Directorate
for Exploration and Research and Geological
Survey of India showed the presence of lithium about 1,600 tonnes
in the Mandya district of Karnataka.
Reserves of Lithium are rare
in the world. According to Rishabh Jain, senior programme director for the
Council on Energy, Environment, and Water, there are 98 million tonnes of
lithium in the world. Now, India has discovered around 5.5 per cent
of these resources. As per one estimate, Chile has 9.2 million tonnes – led the world
in lithium reserves, followed by Australia (6.2 million tonnes).
The first lithium reserve, found in Jammu and Kashmir,
is of the best quality, a senior government official said. India's
mining secretary stated that normal grade of lithium is of 220 parts per
million (PPM), but the lithium found in J&K is of 500 ppm-plus grading, and
with a stockpile of 5.9 million tons, India will surpass China in its
availability.
Lithium is a rare mineral and an essential component in rechargeable
batteries used in electric vehicles and electronic gadgets like smartphones and
laptops. The supply of lithium is essential as the government plans to meet its
de-carbonization goals by boosting sales of electric vehicles in the country. Production of minerals is necessary
for the clean energy transition could increase by as much as 500% between 2020
and 2050 according to the World Bank.
World Lithium reserves 2022, by country (Source: statista)
In 2022, reserves of lithium in Chile amounted to an estimated 9.3
million metric tons, the largest worldwide. Chile has the largest lithium
reserves worldwide by a large margin. Australia comes in second, with reserves
estimated at 6.2 million metric tons in 2022.
About Lithium
Lithium is
a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic
number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Most lithium is
used to make lithium-ion batteries for electric cars and mobile
devices. The
most important use of lithium is in rechargeable batteries for mobile phones,
laptops, digital cameras and electric vehicles. Lithium metal is made into alloys with aluminum
and magnesium, improving their strength and making them lighter. A magnesium-lithium
alloy is used for armour plating. Aluminum-lithium alloys are used in aircraft,
bicycle frames and high-speed trains.
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