LITHIUM TRIANGLE

Description

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Context

With countries around the world scrambling to reduce emissions, rising global lithium demand and surging prices have drawn increased interest in the so-called ‘lithium triangle’ that spans parts of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile.

Details

Lithium has become the new 'white gold' as the demand for high performing rechargeable batteries is rising.
In Argentina, mining provinces such as Salta, Jujuy and Catamarca have moved to strengthen infrastructure, legal security and fiscal stability.

Uses of Lithium

Lithium metal and its compounds have many uses:

lithium stearate is mixed with oils to make all-purpose and high-temperature lubricants
lithium hydroxide is used to absorb carbon dioxide in space vehicles
lithium is alloyed with aluminium, copper, manganese, and cadmium to make high perfomance alloys for aircraft
Bahnmetall consists of lead containing 0.04% lithium, 0.7% calcium and 0.6% sodium is harder than pure lead and was used for railroad car bearings in Germany.
compounds such as LiAlH4 and organolithium reagents (LiMe, LiPh, etc.) are very important as reagents in organic chemistry
lithium metal has the highest specific heat of any solid element and so heat transfer applications
various nuclear applications
lithium is sometimes used as battery anode material (high electrochemical potential) and lithium compounds are used in dry cells and storage batteries
lithium is used in the manufacture of special high strength glasses and ceramics sometimes, lithium-based compounds such as lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) are used as drugs to treat manic-depressive disorders.

Lithium Reserves

Lithium and India

India does not have enough lithium reserves for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries, with lithium also having other uses such as in mobile phone batteries, solar panels, aerospace and thermonuclear fusion.
Almost all-electric vehicles in the country run on imported batteries, mostly from China.
Recently though,1,600 tonnes of lithium resources were found in the igneous rocks of the Marlagalla-Allapatna region of Karnataka’s Mandya district.

India’s efforts in making India self-reliant in Lithium products

India plans to buy Lithium to ensure supplies that could potentially last decades and make India self-reliant.
The country has started a massive effort to make India a world leader in Lithium batteries.
The strategy to acquire Lithium has three steps.
First, secure supplies from the largest reserves in the world.
Two, build infrastructure to process Lithium, Like refineries.
And third, leverage alliances to enter the global markets.
India is working on all three fronts.
First, the supplies. New Delhi is going straight to the source. Argentina, Chile and Bolivia have largest stockpiles of Lithium.
Since 2016, there has been a fourfold jump in imports.
India has built its first Lithium refinery in Gujarat.
The growing demand for Lithium in India is driven by the goal of Indian government to become one of the largest electric vehicle markets world over.
NITI Ayog has set an ambitious target to increase the number of electric vehicles by 30 percent by 2030.
India will have to eat into China's global market share. Chinese firms control almost half of the global Lithium production. And China has a 73 per cent share in global cell manufacturing capacity.
It's time to change that. Australia wants to collaborate with India.
India and Australia both stood to gain from the promise of expanding trade in Lithium.
Lithium makes up only 0.002 per cent of the earth's crust. The supply is scarce.
And securing that is India's top priority.