The Government’s exploration drive to discover lithium, a metal that is used for making batteries to run electric cars, appears to have met some success in Karnataka and raises hopse for a bigger find in the state.
“Preliminary surveys on surface and limited subsurface exploration by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) have shown presence of Lithium resources of 1,600 tonnes (inferred category) in Marlagalla area of Mandya district in Karnataka,” the Union Minister of Mines Pralhad Joshi said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Apart from Mandya, AMD a constituent unit of the Department Atomic Energy, is also carrying out exploration for Lithium in potential geological domains in parts of Yadgir district of Karnataka.
Further, the Geological Survey of India (GSI), an attached office of Ministry of Mines, has carried out 14 projects on Lithium and associated elements in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Karnataka and Rajasthan, the minister stated.
During 2021-22, GSI has taken up 5 projects on Lithium and associated minerals in Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir and Rajasthan, he added.
The minister also stated that the Government has approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for manufacturing of Advance Chemistry Cell in the country. The total outlay of the scheme is Rs. 18,100 crores for a period of five years. The scheme envisages establishing a competitive ACC battery manufacturing set-up in the country (50 Giga Watt hour-GWh).
Additionally, 5 GWh of niche ACC technologies is also covered under the scheme. The scheme proposes a production linked subsidy based on applicable subsidy per KWh and percentage of value addition achieved on actual sales made by the manufacturers who set up production units. The PLI scheme will facilitate reduction of import dependence of ACC battery.
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