New Delhi: The Government of India announced on Thursday that for the first time, large reserves of lithium have been found in the country. The Geological Survey of India said that reserves of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium have been found in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. According to Live Science, lithium is a light metal that has many uses. Lithium helps treat bipolar disorder and stabilize wild mood swings that can occur with illness or stress. The name lithium comes from ‘lithos’, which is a Greek word. Lithos means ‘stone’ in Greek.
Lithium is a non-ferrous metal and one of the major components used in the batteries of Electric Vehicles (EVs). Batteries made of lithium and ion have a higher energy density than lead-acid batteries or nickel-metal hydride batteries. Hence it is possible to make the size of the battery smaller than others while maintaining the same energy storage capacity. With the emphasis on EVs by governments across the world, lithium has become very important in the manufacture of these vehicles.
Why is it a big deal for India to have lithium reserves?
India has recently been looking to shore up supplies of key minerals, including lithium, which will be key to furthering its plans for electric vehicles. Earlier, the Mines Ministry had said that the government is taking several proactive measures to secure minerals including lithium from Australia and Argentina to strengthen the critical mineral supply chain for emerging technologies. Currently, India is dependent on imports of several minerals such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt. 50% of the reserves of these minerals are concentrated in three South American countries – Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile.
Thus, the 5.9 million tonnes of lithium reserves found in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district become a big deal for India, as it will help increase India’s penetration in the electric vehicle sector in the years to come. Speaking at the Central Geological Programming Board meeting on Thursday, Mines Secretary Vivek Bhardwaj said that vital minerals are required everywhere, be it mobile phones or solar panels. He said that it is very important for the country to find and process important minerals in order to become self-sufficient.
