Lithium deposits found for the first time in India in J&K: How is it a boon for India as well as for JKUT

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India strikes 'White Gold', 5.9 mn tonnes lithium deposits found in Jammu and Kashmir. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) on Thursday said that lithium deposits have been found for the first time in India. It stated that it has established Lithium inferred resources (G3) of 5.9 million tonnes in Salal-Haimana area of Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir. Currently, India is import-dependent for many minerals like lithium, nickel and cobalt. 

    Lithium has been among the most sought-after mineral during the past few years, largely on the back of its usage in battery manufacturing & is a biggest obstacle in her transition from non renewable energy sources (fossil fuels) to EV Batteries. India is at odds with a major import source for the mineral, China. 

      

Lithium is a non-ferrous metal and is one of the key components in EV batteries.

 Its other important uses are in mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras and electric vehicles. Lithium is also used in some non-rechargeable batteries for things like heart pacemakers, toys and clocks etc.

According to a publication from the 'Inverted', majority of countries, including India, are transitioning to an electric vehicle age (EVs). General Motors, the world's largest automaker, has declared that it would discontinue selling gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2035. Audi, a German company, also intends to stop making them by 2033.

Governments all over the world have developed roadmaps to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles. 

   By 2030, India hopes to have 30% of its highways covered by electric vehicles. 

  The FAME 2 (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Phase II) scheme has set aside INR 10K Cr to encourage the use of electric vehicles to minimize pollution and crude oil imports.

As things return to normal, entrepreneurs and automakers are stepping up their game to ensure that the aim is met. However, the faster the adoption, the more lithium-ion batteries, which are used in EVs, would be consumed. These batteries generate electricity by transporting lithium ions from one layer, the anode, to another, the cathode, which is separated by an electrolyte layer. Rechargeable batteries are utilized in a variety of industries, including consumer electronics. A single EV contains roughly 10 kilograms of lithium, and the lithium-ion battery accounts for more than 40% of the cost of an EV in India. 

    Many reports, however, imply that lithium deposits are skewed over the planet. According to a research by CEEW The Council and Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation titled "India's Electric Vehicle Transition," Chile has 58% of the world's lithium reserves while China has 43% of rare earth mineral reserves. As a result, India imports massive amounts of lithium batteries.

   India's lithium imports surged by roughly 6.5 times between 2010 and 2017, according to an analysis by The Energy and Resou Institute (TERI). During his Lok Sabha speech on February 7, 2020, Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, stated that India bought 450 million units of lithium batteries for INR 6,600 crore ($929.26 million) in 2019-2020. 

    

   So one can easily imagine that how much of this discovery is important for India. Because it can pave the way for India for its transition from fossil fuels vehicles (Diesel, Petrol, Gasoline) to EV batteries vehicles & also save thousand crores of rupees used for its import. Moreover it is also a boost for J&K UT also because it's mining will give employment to thousands of youth of Jammu especially from Jammu region and and and will also have less burden on the government for the jobs creation.