In addition to being very expensive and complex, lithium mining can have adverse environmental impacts
Posted Date – Sat 5/06/23 12:15am
In addition to being very expensive and complex, lithium mining can have adverse environmental impacts
Hyderabad: The Geological Survey of India’s recent discovery of nearly 6 million tonnes of lithium deposits in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi region is likely to be a game-changer for India as it plans to transition to clean energy and boost electric vehicles. However, there are several challenges and environmental concerns associated with the mining of lithium, a mineral that is in huge global demand as it is key to modern projects requiring rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries and pacemakers in clean energy, transportation and more and other medical equipment. The first challenge is who will bid on and mine the reserves, as lithium is on the Department of Atomic Energy’s restricted list, which prohibits private players from mining or producing lithium. Moreover, India does not have expertise in lithium mining. In addition to being very expensive and complex, lithium mining can have adverse environmental impacts. Environmentalists worry that unless sustainable mining practices are followed, lithium extraction will inevitably increase greenhouse gas emissions. This also leads to soil and water pollution due to the presence of toxic chemicals. Balancing all these factors can be a challenging task. However, lithium mining in India is likely to reduce its dependence on China and other countries. This will not only save foreign exchange but also enhance India’s energy security. Lithium, often referred to as ‘white gold’, has become a priority metal in India as it aims to achieve 30% of electric vehicle (EV) sales by 2030 and boost non-fossil fuel energy capacity to 500 GW .
While lithium-ion batteries — whose developers won a Nobel Prize — have transformed electronic communications, the goal of making electric vehicles and moving away from carbon-emitting fuels also relies on lithium. However, the Reasi discovery is still in the preliminary exploration stage and it will be several years before India can mine and refine it to make it ready for consumption. Until then, India will have to keep importing lithium as deadlines loom for various projects aimed at achieving zero-carbon emissions. Lithium is a soft, silvery-white mineral that plays a vital role in most of the tasks we do in our daily lives. During the 26th United Nations Conference of the Parties to Climate Change (COP26) in Glasgow in 2021, India has vowed to reduce emissions to net zero by 2070. The supply of lithium is critical to achieving these goals in the future. Lithium is also a key ingredient in electric vehicle batteries, but global supply is tight due to growing demand for electric vehicles, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). The world could face a lithium shortage by 2025, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The IEA estimates that the world will need about 2 billion electric vehicles by 2050 to achieve net-zero emissions, yet only 6.6 million electric vehicles will be sold in 2021.
