India acquires Lithium mining blocks in Argentina

 

India on 15^th Jan 2024, announced the acquisition of five lithium blocks in Argentina.The Mines Ministry, through Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL), signed an agreement with Argentina’s State-owned CAMYEN. 

The State-owned KABIL will start exploration and development of five lithium brine blocks, namely Cortadera-I, Cortadera-VII, Cortadera-VIII, Cateo-2022-01810132, and Cortadera-VI, covering an area of about 15,703 hectares. 

With this agreement, KABIL has obtained Exploration and Exclusivity Rights for five blocks. The agreement will allow the State-owned entity to evaluate, prospect, and explore. Upon subsequent discovery of lithium minerals, exploitation rights for commercial production have also been granted. 

Its known Brine technology  has cost advantage over minerals. Things will  be further cost effective if DLE   deployed  instead  of age old  evaporation technology.

India’s lithium requirements, amounting to around ₹24,000 crore (~ $3B), are met through imports, with the majority of supplies coming from China.

Lithium, often called ‘white gold’, forms the cornerstone of the country’s transition to green energy options. It is used across various categories, including energy storage solutions, batteries for mobile phones, and in EVs. 

India's also in  preliminary discussions with Bolivia to acquire lithium assets.

Indian cabinet allows Lithium's commercial mining to charge up it's EV ambitions

Indian Cabinet approved amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, on July 12, allowing for mining of lithium and other minerals, ET reported citing sources.

It was widely reported earlier  that the government was planning to amend the  act to encourage exploration of deep-seated minerals   such  as tellurium, selenium, lead, zinc, cadmium, indium, gold, silver, diamond, rock phosphate, apatite, potash, and elements of the rare earth group.

Critical and strategic minerals such as lithium, cobalt, molybdenum, rhenium, tungsten, graphite, vanadium, nickel, tin, platinum  etc.   Group of elements like  columbite, tantalite, lepidolite, scheelite and cassiterite are also part of the list.

The amendment proposed to insert the provision of an exploration licence in the law which will be granted through auction for undertaking reconnaissance and prospecting operations, according to an official.

Companies will be allowed to suggest areas they want to explore, and eventually mine in India, as per the changes. This is a deviation from the usual practice where blocks or mines are defined by the government to be taken up for auction.

The licence will also be granted only for deep-seated and critical minerals that will be specified in a new schedule to the Act, said the official.

The changes are likely to incentivise private sector participation in all spheres of mineral exploration, with a focus on precious and critical ones. They will allow junior mining companies to get exploration rights on the basis of available baseline survey data. These companies explore the area from the reconnaissance stage and bring it up to the level required for starting mining operations.

Companies will also be allowed to transfer the mineral concession in full or part during the exploration period or at the conclusion of exploration, as per the changes.

 

Source : ET India (Reproduced with edited version)