A Huge Lithium Discovery Just Changed the Stakes in EV Production
upstart writes:
A Huge Lithium Discovery Just Changed The Stakes In EV Production - SlashGear:
Lithium is one of the most sought-after commodities on Earth right now thanks to its fundamental role in making batteries that power everything from smartphones and laptops to electric vehicles. Such is the race for lithium that it has become a topic of geopolitical tussle between countries that have natural reserves and their diplomatic allies. As of 2023, the majority of the world's lithium mining is concentrated in China, Australia, and Chile. However, a fresh geological discovery could very well change the game.
The Geological Survey of India has announced the discovery of "5.9 million tonnes inferred resources of lithium" in the Salal-Haimana region of India's northern union territory Jammu & Kashmir. Chile currently holds the largest lithium reserves in the world at around 9.2 million tonnes, followed by Australia, Argentina, and China. The recent discovery propels India straight to the second spot in terms of lithium reserves across the globe. India currently imports most of its lithium from China, which happens to be one of the biggest lithium-processing hotspots in the world courtesy of a massive electronics manufacturing industry and a cut-throat EV market.
[...] India is poised to shake up the lithium processing and battery production dynamics with its abundant natural reserves, but a geopolitical splash will take some time to happen. Two additional rounds of rigorous geological surveys are needed to narrow down potential mining hotspots. Once that is done, the development of proper mining infrastructure could take years, and the same goes for lithium battery manufacturing lines.
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