With its rich lithium reserves, Zimbabwe depends on the extraction and refinement of this key component for electric car batteries in order to bolster its economy. Zimbabwe is the sixth-largest producer and supplier of lithium in the world, and it possesses the largest lithium reserves in Africa.
At the village of Salal in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, Indi a claims to have discovered nearly 6 million metric tonnes of lithium-rich bauxite. For many locals, the finding turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Cobalt has emerged as one of the hottest commodities in the new energy revolution because it is widely used in electric vehicles as well as computer and consumer electronics. But unlike graphite, which China has significant natural reserves, the country’s cobalt reserves accounts for only about 1% of the world’s total. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) produces more than 60% of the world’s mined cobalt.