Afghanistan energy storage lithium battery manufacturer

A 2017/18 report from the US Geological Survey notes Afghanistan has deposits of spodumene, a lithium-bearing mineral, but does not provide tonnage estimates, while the 2019 Afghan report makes no mention of lithium at all.

The economic impact of this mining discovery is simply enormous: the total reserves represent about 1,000 billion. The two main sources of lithium are hard rock sources in pegmatites and in solution within continental brines, both of which are present in Afghanistan. This might become the backbone of the Afghan economy.

Lithium, the “white gold” of EV battery manufacturing - favoured for being lightweight and robust in energy storage - is said to be plentiful in Afghanistan. But now the West is no longer in charge, where will it come from?

In 2010, US military officials and geologists revealed the extent of Afghanistan's mineral deposits, valued at between $1 trillion and $3 trillion. But since the recapture of Kabul by the Taliban, it's unlikely the West will be invited to trade talks anytime soon.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is another primary source for Lithium but as yet there are no known commercially viable Lithium mines there. The IEA estimates it takes 16 years from the discovery of a mineral for a mine to begin production.