Large reserves of lithium found in Rajasthan

Jaipur (Rajasthan) – In a survey conducted by the Government of Rajasthan and the Geological Survey of India, large deposits of lithium have been found at Degana in Nagaur district. Lithium is very important metal in the production of electronic devices including electric vehicles, smartphones, laptops. That is why it is also called ‘white gold’. It is estimated that, 80% of the country’s total requirements will be fulfilled by these reserves and India’s dependence on China will be reduced. A few months ago, it was estimated that Jammu and Kashmir have 5.9 lakh tonnes of lithium; but the reserves found in Rajasthan are very large than that of Jammu and Kashmir.

Rajasthan| "This is our luck that we have found Lithium in our state. CM's prime focus this time was to have as many surveys as possible…Lithium reserve that has been found in Nagaur is much bigger than what was found in J&K…": Pramod Bhaya, Rajasthan Mining Minister on… pic.twitter.com/SYgJXLIdd4

— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) May 9, 2023

Australia possesses maximum quantity of the lithium in the world

Lithium is the lightest metal in the world. It helps to covert the chemical energy into electrical energy. It is an important component of the batteries, used in the electric vehicles. The importance of the Countries, having reserves of lithium is increasing because of the increase in use of electronic batteries. Australia alone owns 47% of the world’s total lithium. Chile has 30% and China has 15% of lithium reserves. Out of the total processing that is done on lithium, the China contributes 58%, Chile 29% and the Argentina 10%.

India’s most of the lithium imports are from China

Most of India’s lithium imports come from China. The total cost of lithium imported during the period from 2020 to 2021, by India was ₹ 6,000 cores. Out of this ₹ 3,500 crores worth of lithium was imported from China alone.

A boost for electric vehicles

The number of electric vehicles in India are growing rapidly. According to an estimate, by the year 2030, More than 13 crores of electric vehicles will be there on the roads of the country. On this background, if India becomes self-sufficient in the production of Lithium, the battery prices will come within reach and it may become beneficial for the electric vehicle sector.

Possible to become a global supplier

According to an estimate, the global market will need 3,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of batteries by the year 2027-28. With the new reserves found in India, country can become a major supplier of lithium, in the global market. Commonly found reserves around the world are having 200 ‘ppm’ (parts per million) (one part in ten lakhs), while reserves in Jammu and Kashmir are having higher value upto 500 ‘ppm’. India will be at the advantage because of this.

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) dismisses media reports about large lithium reserves in Rajasthan

“Media reports published in various newspapers regarding the finding of large lithium reserves by the Geological Survey of India (GSI), in Degana area, Nagaur District, Rajasthan are completely baseless and misleading,” the survey organisation said.