Is a lithium-ion battery race taking place in Afghanistan?

While Goldman Sachs predicts a tripling of the lithium market by 2025, a race to secure supplies is taking place in Afghanistan. The lithium-ion battery story begins with chemistry and ends with innovation.

Could lithium be used to produce batteries in Afghanistan?

The Taliban spokesman even mentioned the possibility to use the lithium to produce batteries inside Afghanistan and export them. Such a prospect appears far-fetched though. «Afghanistan has all the raw materials necessary to produce lithium-based batteries,» Dr. Wnuk told SIGA.

Does Afghanistan have a lot of lithium?

It is speculated that Afghanistan has plenty of lithium. The country's lithium deposits occur in dry lake beds in the form of lithium chloride; they are located in the western Province of Herat and Nimroz and in the central east Province of Ghazni.

Should lithium-containing rocks be shipped abroad?

However, Dr. Wnuk cautioned that the effectiveness of teaching locals to do this has its limits. Another prospect would be to at least pre-process and pre-sort lithium-containing rocks in Afghanistan before shipping them abroad which would lower transport costs, as much less waste rock would be shipped.

What minerals are found in Afghanistan's pegmatites?

Spodumene and petalite are the primary lithium-containing minerals in most of Afghanistan’s pegmatites, but lithium-rich minerals like lepidolite, trilithionite, montebrasite, and several others have been reported in high concentration in a few pegmatites, as Dr. Christopher Wnuk, a mining consultant with experience in Afghanistan, explained.