The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has made another significant discovery of lithium reserves in Rajasthan’s Degana (Nagaur), marking another milestone in India’s journey towards achieving net zero emissions. 

While the capacity of the reserve has not been disclosed, media reports are citing Rajasthan’s government officials stating the state's reserves to be even larger than the previous find 

These reserves are said to contain significantly more lithium than the 5.9 million tonnes found in Jammu and Kashmir recently.

Officials have claimed that the quantity of lithium found in Rajashtan can meet about 80 percent of the country’s demand and requirement. Lithium is the lightest as well as the softest metal across the globe. A nonferrous metal, it converts chemical energy into electrical energy and is one of the key components in EV batteries.

Often pegged as the ‘white gold’, lithium has emerged as a metal of priority even for India given its ambitious targets of achieving 30 percent electric vehicle sales of total new vehicle sales and increasing non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030. 

Ankit Kedia, Founder & Lead Investor, of Capital A said, "Lithium-ion batteries are by far the most efficient, safer, and lightweight battery options for the electric vehicles. This is where the discovery of Lithium reserves in different parts of India augurs very well for Indian EV ecosystem. It is true that the mere discovery of the Lithium reserves isn’t automatically going to change everything as we will need to build processing infrastructure and expertise. This is an area where countries like China and the US are far ahead of us in terms of sophistication and maturing of markets."

He further said, "At the same time, a start has to be made somewhere, and this potential of domestically produced Lithium usage in supporting the battery manufacturing industry and the overall EV ecosystem is huge. This would bring much needed encouragement in the domestic markets that have currently been affected by the withdrawal of the FAME II scheme. It must be noted that EV adoption in India has taken off in a big way and people are going to continue buying the EVs regularly when the holistic and supportive ecosystem is in place. That’s where I believe India has made great progress, and the recent discoveries of Lithium reserves will be highly instrumental."

As of now, India depends on imports for many minerals like lithium, such as nickel, and cobalt, and has been looking to strengthen its supply of these key minerals, which are otherwise crucial for furthering its plans to expand its electrical vehicle footprint.

At the moment, 47 percent of the world’s lithium production takes place in Australia, 30 percent in Chile, and 15 percent in China. But, 58 percent of the mineral’s processing takes place in China, 29 in Chile, and 10 percent in Argentina.

Varun Goenka, CEO & Co-Founder, Chargeup said, "As India discovers significant lithium reserves in Rajasthan, in addition to the previously discovered reserves in Jammu and Kashmir, the country is well positioned to become the 3rd largest market for EVs in the next 4 years. Batteries, being the single largest cost and supplies dominated by China, have been a major obstacle for India's EV industry."

"However, with the 'Make in India' initiative and the discovery of lithium reserves, India is now able to reduce its dependence on foreign countries and control the fluctuating price of lithium. This development not only enables India to meet its domestic requirements but also allows it to supply lithium to other countries, creating a promising future for the country's EV industry. The future seems #chargedup for India as it accelerates towards achieving its goal of transitioning towards sustainable energy sources while reducing its carbon footprint," he further added.

Lithium is a crucial raw material used in the manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles, smartphones, and laptops. As the world shifts towards sustainable and clean energy solutions, the demand for lithium has skyrocketed, making it a critical component of the global economy.

The discovery of this new reserve in Rajasthan is a significant step towards India's goal of achieving energy independence and reducing its dependence on foreign countries for lithium. The exact size of the reserve has not been disclosed, but it is believed to be substantial.

The news of this discovery comes on the heels of India's ambitious target of achieving 100% electric vehicle sales by 2030. With the increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries, the discovery of this new reserve in Rajasthan could not have come at a better time.

Furthermore, the government has taken several steps to promote the production of electric vehicles and their components in the country. This includes providing incentives to manufacturers, reducing import duties on components, and setting up charging infrastructure across the country.

This development not only enables India to meet its domestic requirements but also allows it to supply lithium to other countries, creating a promising future for the country’s electric vehicle industry.

To reduce India’s dependence on neighboring countries for lithium supply, the GSI has carried out 14 projects on lithium and associated elements in various states across India. 

During 2021-22, the GSI has taken up five more projects on lithium and associated minerals. This strategic discovery of lithium reserves in India can help the country achieve its net zero emissions target by accelerating the adoption of green transportation and green energy.

In conclusion, the discovery of a new reserve of lithium in Rajasthan is a positive development for India's goal of achieving energy independence and promoting sustainable energy solutions. The government's efforts to promote electric vehicles and reduce dependence on fossil fuels are commendable, and this discovery will undoubtedly aid in achieving these goals.

Why is lithium important to renewable energy

Lithium is an essential component in many green technologies. It’s in rechargeable batteries, it’s in electric vehicles, it’s in watches, cell phones, laptops, and more. 

But what is lithium and why are so many people critical of its use and extraction? Here’s all you need to know about the ever-growing lithium industry and the practices behind it today.

Lithium is a metal that is known for its low density, high energy-to-weight ratio, and its ability to store large amounts of energy. It’s also the lightest of all metals in the periodic table of elements, and its soft, silvery-colored metal is widely used for its heat-resistant properties. 

Lithium is also a very old metal. In fact, scientists believe that it was one of only three elements to have been created in the Big Bang over 13.8 billion years ago – hydrogen and helium being the other two. 

Though it’s one of the oldest elements to have been around, lithium is not nearly as abundant here on Earth as its gaseous counterparts. The metal makes up just 0.002% of the Earth’s crust, though arguably, that is higher than the supplies of tin, silver, gold, and platinum combined. Lithium doesn’t ever occur naturally in its metallic form as it's highly reactive to the elements and minerals around it. Rather, it’s found in a crystalline form alongside rocks and other mineral deposits in the Earth’s crust.

What do we use lithium for

Lithium was discovered in its crystal state back in 1817 by chemists examining petalite ore, though it was not put to use until the late 1940s when psychiatrists began to use it to treat mental afflictions. Its first modern widespread use was as a mood stabilizer in the mid-20th century, but lithium’s heat-resistant properties also saw the metal being added to soaps used to grease aircraft engines and other machinery during World War II. 

Lithium is still added to glass and ceramic materials to bolster its heat resistance, but the main use for lithium nowadays is in batteries. Because of its high energy storage properties, lithium batteries can power small devices for long periods of time without overheating — things like watches, cell phones, laptops, tablets, remotes and more all use lithium batteries to keep them going for days, weeks, or years at a time. 

More recently, lithium has been a central player in the development and production of renewable energy technology. Its ability to store energy has been crucial in capturing and storing energy created through wind, solar, and hydro power, and many pieces of machinery or technology have lithium batteries to maintain and distribute that energy long after the source has stopped producing energy. Solar-powered vehicles, for example, can only generate energy while the sun is out, but lithium batteries can continue to provide previously-generated energy after the sunshine is gone. 

How is lithium mined

We use lithium commercially in its metallic form, but as we already mentioned, it doesn’t appear in that state naturally. It has to first be extracted, then separated from its other minerals, then turned back into its metal form.

Lithium is mostly found in brine pools, brine deposits, and mineral springs, all of which have high salt contents distributed through naturally occurring water. Salt deserts and brine pools in Australia, Argentina, Chile, China, and Bolivia are some of the most lithium-rich locations on the planet, as far as we know, and it is where a majority of the lithium mining occurs. 

To extract lithium from these mineral-rich deposits, miners must drill deep holes into the deposits and pump the brine out into large, shallow pools where the liquid will evaporate from the solids. After a few months, all that is left of the liquid brine are large deposits of its minerals, such as borax, manganese, potassium, and, of course, lithium salts. From there, the mineral mixture is filtered and sent to another solar pool for a further 12 to 18 months.   

At the end of this long, elaborate process, all that is left of the salty brine is the lithium salts, which can be processed back into their metallic form for commercial use. 

References:

amli.com
moneycontrol.com