After J&K, lithium reserves found in Rajasthan's Nagaur

India may have hit another jackpot in terms of finding lithium reserves, this time in the Debgana municipality of Nagaur district in Rajasthan. The overall capacity of lithium reserves found in Debgana is said to be much higher than around 5.9 million tonnes of crucial metal found in Jammu & Kashmir recently, reports suggest citing Geological Survey of India (GSI) officials. The GSI has, however, not revealed the information publicly.

Once fully explored, the reserves found in Rajasthan could meet 80% of India's total demand, and will immensely help India reduce its dependence on countries like China, the reports said.

Before this, in a major breakthrough, the GSI had found 5.9 million tonnes (MT) of lithium in the Salal-Haimana area of Reasi District of Jammu & Kashmir in February 2023. The GSI's finding is now in the G3 category of initial assessment (Inferred Resources), which means more research and studies are required to reach the final 'confident G1 or G2' category of 'mineable reserves', where the Ministry of Mines can exactly determine how much tonnage is available, how much can be extracted and also determine the quality of the mineral.

Even then, it may take a minimum 5-7 years to commercially exploit the 'soft, silvery-white metal belonging to the alkali metals group', they say.

The Geological Survey of India (GSI), an attached office under the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Ltd (MECL), has augmented the resources of gold and lithium in the country.

Currently, India is heavily dependent on China for lithium requirements, and imports around half of its overall volume from the neighbouring country. The metal is used in the making of rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, and in electronic items like smartphones, laptops, among others.

During the last five years, the Geological Survey of India, an attached office of the Ministry of Mines, has carried out 20 projects on lithium and associated elements in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Rajasthan.

During the field season programme 2022-23, the GSI had taken up 18 projects on lithium and associated elements in Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Rajasthan.

Mineral Exploration & Consultancy Limited, a CPSE under Ministry of Mines has also undertaken an exploration project for Lithium in Ladakh. Further, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, a constituent unit of Department of Atomic Energy, is carrying out exploration for lithium in parts of Mandya and Yadgir districts, Karnataka.

Further, the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, a Constituent Unit of the Department of Atomic Energy, has discovered lithium resource in Marlagalla area, Mandya district, Karnataka. This is a preliminary estimate and requires further exploration.

The euphoria surrounding lithium is related to the upcoming electrical vehicle (EV) adoption and renewable energy storage happening around the globe. Lithium batteries can provide up to 10 times longer life than lead-acid batteries and are already 50-60% lightweight in comparison, besides with better efficiency. In batteries, lithium is used across cathode chemistries (and potentially next-generation anodes).

Nickel and cobalt are also used in certain cathode chemistries and copper is used for windings and rotors in motors. Currently, these materials account for about 50 percent of a battery’s total cost.