Gs Paper-1
Syllabus: Distribution of key natural resources across the world
Context:
High-grade lithium has been discovered in Nigeria.
About: Lithium is a soft, silvery metal. It has the lowest density of all metals. It reacts vigorously with water. Lithium and most lithium minerals are mined along with other high-value metallic minerals such as tin, niobium-tantalum (columbite-tantalite), and uranium (in pyrochlore).
Greenbushes mine in Western Australia is the largest hard-rock lithium mine in the world. Global lithium mine production hit a record high of 100,000 tonnes in 2021, a 21 per cent increase over 2020 (82,500 tonnes).
Globally, the demand for Lithium has been increasing because of its vast application mainly as a Lithium-ion battery.
Lithium-ion batteries are generally more expensive but have better performance and are becoming the preferred technology. The different types of Lithium-ion batteries commonly used are:
Status of India with respect to these critical mineral resources
- India imports almost all of its need for rare earth metals and of lithium, Cobalt (mostly from China)
- India’s demand for these critical resources has risen 6 fold in the last five years as it tries to be the electronic and solar manufacturing hub
- India’s first-ever Lithium deposit site was found in Southern Karnataka’s Mandya district
- Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL) has been setup to source and acquire mines in Argentina, Bolivia and Chile (called lithium triangle).
- It also carries out exploratory work to extract lithium from the brine pools of Rajasthan and Gujarat and the mica belts of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
- Critical Minerals Strategy for India: It identified 49 minerals which will be vital for India’s future economic growth
- Collaboration with other world powers: Under QUAD, India is collaborating to ensure just and fair global governance of critical mineral resources and remove supply constraints
- ISRO has commercialized indigenously developed lithium ion battery technology and has selected 14 companies for transfer of technology.
- 1st Lithium ion batteries manufacture plant in India: by CSIR along with RAASI Solar Power Private Limited
- Policy proposed to incentives companies for setting up recycling facilities for lithium ion batteries and make it incumbent on producers to collect used batteries
