Dr. Jitendra Singh confirms presence of Lithium Reserves worth 1,600 tonnes in Karnataka

New Delhi, February 04: Union Minister of State Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply to the Lok Sabha said that the preliminary surveys have shown the presence of lithium deposits of 1,600 tonnes in Mandya district of Karnataka.

 

 

The survey was done on the surface and limited subsurface in the pegmatites of Marlagalla - Allapatna area by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), a constituent unit of the Department of Atomic 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 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.

 

 

The thermonuclear application makes Lithium a "Prescribed substance" under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 which permits AMD for exploration of Lithium in various geological domains of the country. Due to the continuously increasing demand for Lithium-ion batteries, the requirement for Lithium has increased over the last few years.

 

The significance and quantity of lithium resources in the Marlagalla-Allapatna area, Mandya district, Karnataka may be established only after the completion of exploration in the entire area. Subsequently, the plan for commercial exploitation of the lithium deposits can commence after the technical, social, and economic feasibility studies in the area.

 

This domestic exploration push comes at a time when India has stepped up its economic offensive against China, a major source of lithium-ion energy storage products being imported into the country.