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posted by janrinok on Friday February 17, @01:32PM   Printer-friendly
from the I'm-so-happy-'cause-today-I-found-this-reserve dept.

A Huge Lithium Discovery Just Changed The Stakes In EV Production - SlashGear:

Lithium is one of the most sought-after commodities on Earth right now thanks to its fundamental role in making batteries that power everything from smartphones and laptops to electric vehicles. Such is the race for lithium that it has become a topic of geopolitical tussle between countries that have natural reserves and their diplomatic allies. As of 2023, the majority of the world's lithium mining is concentrated in China, Australia, and Chile. However, a fresh geological discovery could very well change the game.

The Geological Survey of India has announced the discovery of "5.9 million tonnes inferred resources of lithium" in the Salal-Haimana region of India's northern union territory Jammu & Kashmir. Chile currently holds the largest lithium reserves in the world at around 9.2 million tonnes, followed by Australia, Argentina, and China. The recent discovery propels India straight to the second spot in terms of lithium reserves across the globe. India currently imports most of its lithium from China, which happens to be one of the biggest lithium-processing hotspots in the world courtesy of a massive electronics manufacturing industry and a cut-throat EV market.

[...] India is poised to shake up the lithium processing and battery production dynamics with its abundant natural reserves, but a geopolitical splash will take some time to happen. Two additional rounds of rigorous geological surveys are needed to narrow down potential mining hotspots. Once that is done, the development of proper mining infrastructure could take years, and the same goes for lithium battery manufacturing lines.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 17, @01:56PM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 17, @01:56PM (#1292159)

    So now India will export it to China to be refined cheaply and then import it to use

    • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday February 17, @02:07PM

      by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday February 17, @02:07PM (#1292163) Journal

      They are even closer to Russia.

    • (Score: -1, Troll) by crafoo on Friday February 17, @02:19PM (3 children)

      by crafoo (6639) on Friday February 17, @02:19PM (#1292165)

      the only thing we'll import from India is millions more H1B foreign interlopers who send remittances back to India. literally strip-mining the next generation for the wealth of international jewery.

      • (Score: -1, Troll) by crafoo on Friday February 17, @02:23PM (2 children)

        by crafoo (6639) on Friday February 17, @02:23PM (#1292166)

        but totally send your children to engineering or computer science school. In an ideal world it would be fantastic to have fellow citizens trained in technology. But the international clique of free-trading bankers is just going to import millions of foreigners into your land to do your work at a discount. Your children will be part of the "service economy" i.e. open-air slaves in a jew prison.

        • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 17, @05:44PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 17, @05:44PM (#1292208)

          I never realized the jew were in cahoots with the Indians too. Maybe the Illuminati are smarter than we give them credit for.

        • (Score: 3, Funny) by janrinok on Saturday February 18, @08:01AM

          by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Saturday February 18, @08:01AM (#1292344) Journal

          You almost wrote a complete comment without directly mentioning the Jews. Well done, you are getting better - not good - but better.

    • (Score: 4, Interesting) by richtopia on Friday February 17, @06:18PM

      by richtopia (3160) Subscriber Badge on Friday February 17, @06:18PM (#1292221) Homepage Journal

      Initially because so much lithium refining is located in China. However, the Indian government is trying to become more self-sufficient across all industries and has a strong rivalry with China. Considering the country has limited energy reserves and a massive population, being able to domestically produce energy storage will be a large strategic advantage.

  • (Score: 2, Interesting) by ElizabethGreene on Friday February 17, @03:22PM (4 children)

    by ElizabethGreene (6748) on Friday February 17, @03:22PM (#1292172)

    I'd be curious to know if this mineral deposit falls within one of the contested regions in Kashmir. My fuzzy memory is that China, India, and Pakistan all have competing and conflicting territorial claims here.

    • (Score: 3, Informative) by HiThere on Friday February 17, @04:51PM (1 child)

      by HiThere (866) on Friday February 17, @04:51PM (#1292191) Journal

      Well, a map shows the named area to be South of the mountains, so probably not. But that was my first thought, too.

      --
      Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
      • (Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 17, @05:46PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 17, @05:46PM (#1292209)

        Rather than posting FIRST! however, you wasted time looking it up. Sucka.

    • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Friday February 17, @05:11PM (1 child)

      by Freeman (732) Subscriber Badge on Friday February 17, @05:11PM (#1292197) Journal

      https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53062484 [bbc.com] - Also shows a basic map of the contested area, with the parties mentioned. (Near as I can tell it is "close", but not in the contested area.)

      India-China dispute: The border row explained in 400 words
              Published
      14 December 2022
      [...]
      Relations between India and China have been worsening. The two world powers are facing off against each other along their disputed border in the Himalayan region.

      Here's what you need to know in 400 words.

      What's the source of tension?

      The root cause is an ill-defined, 3,440km (2,100-mile)-long disputed border.
      [...]
      How bad is the situation?

      Despite military-level talks, tensions continue. In December 2022 troops clashed for the first time in more than a year.

      It happened near the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh state, the eastern tip of India. Some soldiers suffered minor injuries.

      De-escalation work has taken place since a major clash in June 2020. The Galwan Valley battle - fought with sticks and clubs, not guns - was the first fatal confrontation between the two sides since 1975.

      --
      Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
  • (Score: 2) by SomeRandomGeek on Friday February 17, @04:45PM (9 children)

    by SomeRandomGeek (856) on Friday February 17, @04:45PM (#1292188)

    India really struggles to build and maintain infrastructure. I don't know why. But I can't think of many places in the world where it would take longer or cost more to bring a major new mining operation online.

    • (Score: 5, Touché) by HiThere on Friday February 17, @04:56PM (6 children)

      by HiThere (866) on Friday February 17, @04:56PM (#1292192) Journal

      India has had endemic corruption since the Aryan invasion. Holding people in bondage will do that.

      --
      Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 17, @08:22PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 17, @08:22PM (#1292266)

        Corruption is key to all human poverty, disease, hunger, etc, but most people go for a piece of the action rather than try to eliminate it.

      • (Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Saturday February 18, @05:20PM (4 children)

        by PiMuNu (3823) on Saturday February 18, @05:20PM (#1292397)

        Do you have evidence for the state before and after? It is not clear to me that there was better, or worse, corruption (and indeed bondage) after the European powers got involved.

        • (Score: 2) by HiThere on Saturday February 18, @06:44PM (3 children)

          by HiThere (866) on Saturday February 18, @06:44PM (#1292411) Journal

          Not good evidence, since there isn't much of any kind. We know that before the invasion there were very well done brick cities with sewers, etc. and that those disappeared afterwards. So before the invasion there were a large number of people who lived reasonably comfortably and had sanitation. Afterwards not. This isn't direct proof that there wasn't corruption earlier, but I find it plausible evidence that there wasn't too much.

          --
          Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
          • (Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Saturday February 18, @06:54PM (2 children)

            by PiMuNu (3823) on Saturday February 18, @06:54PM (#1292414)

            To which invasion are you referring?

            • (Score: 2) by HiThere on Saturday February 18, @09:39PM (1 child)

              by HiThere (866) on Saturday February 18, @09:39PM (#1292452) Journal

              This was considerably pre-Alexander. The Aryan invasion of India. It happened quite awhile ago. Lots of Hindu sources seem to be denying it these days, but their reasoning is a bit less than impressive. The native population was largely driven south or killed off, their gods turned into demons, etc. The usual atrocities committed by an invading army, but a bit more extreme than usual.
              OTOH, the records ARE fragmentary. Most of the records we have are from the invaders.
              P.S.: When I say "invading army" that's probably a mistake. We're talking about entire tribes. *I* suspect that these may be another branch of the same folks that are recorded in Norse legends as the Vanir, who fought the Aesir to a draw. And they're called vanir because they lived in carts (wains). But the Norse legends aren't much better than the records from India.

              Anyway, in India when the Aryans took over they established the caste system, and THAT is what I was referring to when I said oppressing people.

              --
              Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
              • (Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Sunday February 19, @11:51AM

                by PiMuNu (3823) on Sunday February 19, @11:51AM (#1292551)

                Thanks - I had understood that you were referring to the 18th century colonisation of India by Western European powers (which may have had the effect you described, I don't know; I would guess the other direction, hence my question).

                Totally whooshed!

    • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 17, @05:52PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 17, @05:52PM (#1292211)

      I read a similar thing about Russia. Even if they obtained the plans for the latest rocket technology, they still couldn't build them. It requires too many things to work, to go right. A bit like a functioning society - you can't have the nice toys unless you have widespread education, clean water, free speech, etc. The shiny baubles (such as owned by arrogant children of the wealthy) cannot exist unless a lot of things have gone right. Yah, or perhaps it's Randian ubermenches lifting us all up by their jockstraps.

    • (Score: 2) by Reziac on Saturday February 18, @04:17AM

      by Reziac (2489) on Saturday February 18, @04:17AM (#1292325) Homepage

      Look up a TEDx vid called something like "Why is India so dirty" by a guy going by "The Ugly Indian" (he's involved with efforts to improve things). Really lays out what's wrong with his country. To boil it down, no one maintains anything until they absolutely have to, which is a recipe for squalor.

      --
      And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
  • (Score: 2) by Frosty Piss on Friday February 17, @05:01PM (1 child)

    by Frosty Piss (4971) on Friday February 17, @05:01PM (#1292195)

    They are also preparing to "mine" lithium from the brine of the Saltan Sea in California.

    • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 17, @06:21PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 17, @06:21PM (#1292223)

      In other words, it's MINE (given away to a billionaire).

  • (Score: 2) by Tork on Friday February 17, @06:51PM

    by Tork (3914) on Friday February 17, @06:51PM (#1292238)
    But not in time to save Avenue Five. :(
    --
    Slashdolt Logic: "25 year old jokes about sharks and lasers are +5, Funny." 💩
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