Domestic Exploration of Lithium

Domestic Exploration of Lithium

The preliminary surveys on surface and limited subsurface by Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), a constituent unit of Department of Atomic Energy have shown presence of Lithium resources of 1,600 tonnes (inferred category) in the pegmatites of Marlagalla – Allapatna area, Mandya district, Karnataka. 

About Lithium:

Lithium is a key element for new technologies and finds its use in ceramics, glass, telecommunication and aerospace industries.

Properties of Lithium:

• It is a chemical element with the symbol Li.
• It is a soft, silvery-white metal.
• Under standard conditions, it is the lightest metal and the lightest solid element.
• It is highly reactive and flammable, and must be stored in mineral oil.
• It is an alkali metal and a rare metal.

Uses of Lithium:

• The well-known uses of Lithium are in Lithium ion batteries, lubricating grease, high energy additive to rocket propellants, optical modulators for mobile phones and as convertor to tritium used as a raw material for thermonuclear reactions i.e. fusion.
• The thermonuclear application makes Lithium as “Prescribed substance” under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 which permits AMD for exploration of Lithium in various geological domains of the country.
• Due to the continuously increasing demand of Lithium ion batteries, the requirement of Lithium has increased over last few years.

Benefits of Domestic Exploration of Lithium:

Reducing Import Bill: Importing lithium also results in India having no control over the price of the vital raw material. A domestic lithium mining policy could go a long way towards addressing both these concerns. One way in which India can achieve this is by leveraging its large deposits of quality lithium ore to develop a viable mineral sector and support domestic players which will result in reduced import bills for the country.

Reducing Overdependence on China: China is a major source of lithium-ion energy storage products being imported into the country. Going forward, for India to maintain its aim of reducing over-dependence on imported lithium-ion energy storage products like batteries and power packs, it has to look for domestic exploration of lithium reserves.

Issues Associated with Domestic Exploration of Lithium

The concept of ‘inferred’ resources, or confidence levels associated with inferred resources, is a part of the conceptual framework that exists in mining. A reasonable estimation of the geological parameters involving lithium grade, tonnage and mineralogy can be made from studies available for this deposit.

The lithium find is comparatively small, considering the size of the proven reserves in Bolivia, Argentina, Australia, and China respectively.

India is a late mover in attempts to enter the lithium value chain, coming at a time when Electric Vehicles are predicted to be a sector ripe for disruption. The last two decades – especially since the turn of this century – has seen the expansion of electric vehicles (EV) as a transport mode with major players being seen in passenger cars and two-wheelers.