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Mahesh

11/02/23 09:42 AM IST

5.9 million tonnes Lithium deposits found in J-K

In News
  • The Union Government announced 5.9 million tonnes of lithium found in Jammu and Kashmir.
  • The government said lithium reserves have been found for the first time in the country in Jammu and Kashmir.
  • Lithium reserves have been found in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Lithium
  • Lithium, which is an element on the periodic table, is one of the most sought-after minerals globally.
  • The element was first discovered in 1817 by Johan August Arfvedson and the word lithium comes from lithos in Greek, which means stone.
  • The metal with the lowest density, lithium, reacts vigorously with water and is toxic in nature.
  • Scientists have suggested that this is a cosmic element that formed from the bright stellar explosions called novae.
  • A Nasa funded study revealed that while the big bang created a small amount of lithium in the initial formation of the universe, the majority of lithium gets manufactured in the nuclear reactions that power the nova explosions, distributing the mineral throughout the galaxy.
  • It is the lithium-ion battery that has revolutionised electronic communications, computing, digitisation and is now powering the world moving towards clean energy, a much-needed switch from gas-guzzling and carbon-emitting technologies of the past.
  • The development is so life-changing that Stanley Whittingham, John Goodenough, and Akira Yoshino were awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on the lithium-ion battery.
Significance
  • At the current rate of carbon emissions, the world will need at least 2 billion (200 crores) EVs, and according to the World Economic Forum (WEF), there could be a lithium shortage as soon as 2025.
  • The discovery of a massive reserve in India now sparks hope for the country, which has largely remained import-dependent for the mineral.
  • The mineral needs a high volume of water for extraction and most of the reserves are in countries facing water issues, making India an alternative of the future.
  • Fifty per cent of the deposits are concentrated in three South American countries - Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile.
  • Thus, these lithium reserves become a big deal for India as it will help expand its penetration of EVs in the coming years.
Benefits
  • Apart from EVs, lithium also finds use in the medical sector and in electronics that power our phones, solar panels, and other renewable technologies needed for the transition to clean energy.
  • Lithium is a key element for new technologies and finds its use in ceramics, glass, telecommunication and aerospace industries.
  • The well-known uses of Lithium are in Lithium ion batteries, lubricating grease, high energy additive to rocket propellants, optical modulators for mobile phones and as convertor to tritium used as a raw material for thermonuclear reactions i.e. fusion.
Source- India Today

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