Lithium Reserves discovered in Bengaluru

An Atomic Minerals Directorate, a unit of India’s Atomic Energy Commission Researchers have discovered lithium reserves of 14,100 tonnes in a patch of land surveyed in Mandya, 100 km from Bengaluru.

Lithium is a rare metal in India. The batteries which we use in electric vehicles are mostly of lithium-ion batteries which cost one-third of the vehicle’s cost as it is locally not available and manufacturers import it from other countries like China, Australia, etc.

Lithium Reserves discovered in Bengaluru what expert says

Lithium is a rare metal and its very difficult to manufacture the batteries for electric vehicles. N Munichandraiah, Emeritus Professor at the Indian Institute of Science and an expert on battery technologies said that “The present data provide a total estimation of available Li2O as about 30,300 tonnes over an area of 0.5 km x 5 km, which works out to about 14,100 tonnes of lithium metal.”

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According to a paper to be published in the forthcoming issue of journal Current Science, 14,100 tonnes of lithium has been discovered in a small patch of land surveyed in the Southern Karnataka district. 

The lithium amount found is very small when compared to the many major producers like in Chile the lithium amount is 8.6 million tonnes, 2.8 million tonnes in Australia, 1.7 million tonnes in Argentina or 60,000 tonnes in Portugal. 14,100 tonnes is not that much large said Munichandraiah.

Imported lithium batteries costs in India 

Currently, India imports all its lithium needs and is imported lithium batteries cost $1.2 billion in fiscal 2019, up from $384 million in FY17. According to a data given by science & technology minister Harsh Vardhan in Parliament on February 2, India’s lithium battery totalled to $929 million in the 8 months to November 2019.

These lithium reserves are not much large when compared to what China produces (8.6 million tonnes) but it will help India to boost the EV industry.

 Also Read: India & Australia join hands for Lithium deal for EVs battery demand

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