The Geological Survey of India found “inferred resources” of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium in Jammu and Kashmir, raising hopes of India possibly developing its own source of a metal key to the its clean energy goals, although officials and experts said it is unclear of much of can indeed be extracted.
Lithium is a non-ferrous metal and one of the key components in lithium-ion batteries, the type of energy storage used most widely, from mobile phones to electric vehicles. Its discovery was in ore deposits identified at the “preliminary exploration stage” (G3), which is the second of a four-step process, according to the mines and minerals (development and exploration) act, 1957.
“This is for the first time that Lithium reserves have been discovered in the country and that too in Jammu and Kashmir,” said Union mines secretary Vivek Bharadwaj said while speaking at the 62nd Central Geological Programming Board meeting in New Delhi on Thursday.
The ore containing lithium deposits was found in the Salal-Haimana area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, which had one of 51 mineral blocks that were identified across 11 states by GSI field work carried out from 2018-19 to 2023.
“Finally, Jammu and Kashmir has made history in the mining sector as we have for the first time the discovered critical mineral lithium used in mobile batteries and electric vehicles. Congrats to all J&K residents as it has finally brought us on the global map in this ongoing G20 Presidency year,” said Jammu and Kashmir mining secretary Amit Sharma said.
Sharma said that the state government had received the G3 studies report and would now expedite further action. “We soon expect to take it to the next level of exploration,” Sharma said.
According to the mines and minerals act, the exploration for any mineral deposit involves four stages: reconnaissance survey (G4), preliminary exploration (G3), general exploration (G2) and detailed exploration (G1). Resources identified after G4 are called ‘reconnaissance mineral resource”, those identified after G3 are “inferred mineral resource”, G2 leads to “indicated mineral resource” and G4 precedes “measured mineral resource.”
This implies that the deposits found in Reasi are estimates “of quantities that are inferred, based on interpretation of geological, geophysical, geochemical and geo-technical investigation results.”
In other words, the estimates are early.
Officials of the state mining department said that they were in the process of developing a roadmap for scientific exploration, and that the area where the mine had been identified was hilly and, around 23 kilometres from the Reasi district headquarters.
“Initially, we found bauxite in the ore but in further surveys we discovered lithium, titanium and aluminium in it as well. We found that lithium had the highest content,” said Shafiq Ahmed, district mining officer, Reasi.
Ahmed said the area has both forest and private land, the Chenab river flowing close by, 50 to 60 homes, a higher secondary school and a road that connects Reasi and Mahore. “The area hasn’t been fenced. The government may have to rehabilitate the people,” he said.
The next step, Ahmed added, was for the state government to conduct an e-auction. “The highest bidder will be given the contract for its exploration,” Ahmed said.
“The discovery of lithium is assuring. However, the reserves are classified as being in the inferred category, which signifies its low level of confidence. Before going forward, there is a need to be a preliminary finding via actual extraction to check its feasibility and convert this estimated resource to the exploitable category with a high degree of confidence level and explore its chances of augmenting it,” said Aarti Khosla, director, Climate Trends, a research-based consulting and capacity building initiative.
She said, “If this discovered lithium reserve can be extracted, these deposits will give a big push towards the implementation of electric vehicle plans in India and lead India in a very strong position via becoming self-reliant in developing technology around it.”
A second expert agreed.
“Presently, the soaring demand for lithium in India (which is primarily driven by lithium-ion batteries being a key component of EV manufacturing) is largely catered through imports of lithium, which has been upscaling the costs of lithium-based product manufacturing,” said Rudra Pandey, partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, describing the discovery as “possibly pathbreaking” for the Indian economy.
“Notwithstanding the favourable impact of such a discovery on the Indian economy, it is to be noted that the lithium discovered is in preliminary exploration stage and the extraction of such lithium may be challenging in terms of cost-implications and the environmental impacts the process can cause,” Pandey added.
