How will Bolivia manage its lithium?
All about the lithiumSouth Korean state-run Korea Resources Corporation (KORES) is working hard in Bolivia to gain access to the country's large supplies of lithium, as are many other companies.
With hybrid cars and other electric vehicles on a path to capture as much as 25 percent of the world's automarket by 2025, Bolivian lithium appears ever more important.
But, Bolivia is playing their lithium card carefully, searching for quality partners to help Bolivia get the most of its natural resources.
"We need investments,' and 'companies who respect Bolivian regulations... who don't come to play politics' or 'conspire against the government,' said Bolivian President Evo Morales recently.
Does that already leave America out of the mix? If so, would that provide another competitive advantage to non-American automakers?
Labels: Hybrid Vehicles, lithium battery
posted by Dahcredyns at
8:40 AM
8 Comments:
playing the contrarian here - tell me again the difference to this country being hostage to foreign oil.... or foreign lithium?
well, you don't need as much lithium as you do oil, but it's still a good point.
if we're going to power the world's fleets with lithium while storing all renewable power in lithium, lithium prices will increase significantly.
and then we'd be "hostage" to the lithium cartel?
and have to send troops to defend our interests in the lithium-producing countries?
okay.. whack on me.. what have I said wrong here?
well, bolivia doesn't own the lithium market. chile, china, even the US also have large lithium supplies. so, this shouldn't become an issue for many years.
but it could become an issue in a few decades.
however, if we master cost-effective hydrogen production, for instance, we'll need far less lithium. and nickel could also remain cost-effective for a lot longer period of time.
Or the US can form a partnership with Bolivia based on mutual benefit.
Just because we loved to use our military to CONTROL oil reserves and help maintain our global power via that control, doesn't mean we have to do that with Lithium. If that means we are marginally less rich and powerful as a country, well them's the breaks. We've won more than we've lost in the natural resources lottery over the centuries.
If Korea is able to make money using Bolivian Li, why can't the US compete on a level playing field? I'm not saying it makes business sense to go into business with Bolivia, but I don't think we should plan on using our military to force terms on Bolivia. If we can't compete without our having our military put a squeeze on small countries trying to use their resources to rise out of poverty... well, I'll stop here.
well, i guess i wonder, would bolivia want to form a partnership with a US company?
we haven't always been the best friend of bolivia.
is it payback time?
of course, there's always Chile. of course, we haven't always been their best friend either.
just a question - is lithium mining and processing environmentally "friendly" ?
I know our friends up in Canada are hoping that we'll keep sucking up the middle east oil until we're willing to pay them to produce shale/sand oil which is as destructive or more so than coal....both of them destroy landscapes and pretty much permanently pollute waterways.
lithium mining can be very environmentally-destructive, but i don't think it has to be. of course, keeping it clean will increase the cost of this resource.
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