The Indian Government’s agreement to explore five lithium blocks in Argentina will significantly reduce carbon emissions and decrease India’s reliance on China for lithium import, marking a significant milestone in the country’s energy transition.
The Government of India has signed an agreement with Argentina for exploration and mining of Lithium. It is India’s first lithium exploration and mining project consisting of five lithium brine blocks over an area of 15,703 hectares The central government said in a statement that, “This strategic move will not only strengthen the bilateral relations between India and Argentina, but it will also contribute to the sustainable development of the mining sector, providing an environment for critical and strategic minerals required for various industries.”
Lithium is a crucial mineral for energy conversion and is the primary component of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and battery energy storage systems, which significantly reduce pollution from diesel and petrol vehicles. Till now, India has been dependent on countries like China, Australia and Argentina for lithium. India’s new deal is expected to give China control over the crucial mineral lithium, enabling India to compete with it in lithium mining.
