Nigeria’s newest lithium discover: some key questions answered

Excessive-grade lithium has been found in Nigeria. In 2019 the overall manufacturing quantity of lithium, not excessive grade, in Nigeria reached 50 metric tons That is small in comparison with Zimbabwe which produced 1,200 metric tons the identical 12 months. The Dialog Africa’s Wale Fatade requested geologist Ibrahim Garba for his insights.

What’s lithium and why is it essential?

The Geological Company described the lithium as excessive grade as a result of what’s been discovered has between 1% – 13% oxide content material. Usually exploration begins at ranges as little as 0.4%. Grade (in %) is a measure of focus of the lithium within the minerals and or rocks that comprises it. Subsequently, the upper the grade the extra the financial viability. Greater grades are very uncommon for metals like lithium.

Lithium is a metallic mineral in very excessive demand by manufacturing industries.
Seven years in the past the majority of demand for lithium was break up between ceramics and glasses (35%) and greases, metallurgical powders, polymers, and different industrial makes use of (over 35%). Lower than 30% was for batteries. However by 2030, batteries are anticipated to account for 95% of demand.

Lithium-ion batteries are usually dearer however have higher efficiency and have gotten the popular know-how. The different sorts are:

• Lithium-cobalt oxide battery. It’s utilized in shopper electronics and is discovering utility in electrical autos. It’s comparatively low cost.

• Lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt is a more recent, greater performing vary of battery chemistry. It’s primarily developed for the digital automobile market however is discovering a wider use due to its rising price effectiveness.

• Lithium iron phosphate, the most secure know-how with comparatively excessive efficiency however comparatively costly. It is extremely standard in China however is prone to turn out to be overtaken by Lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt over the long run; and

• Lithium-nickel-cobalt-aluminium oxide developed to cut back cobalt consumption and is called a strong performer and of cheap price. It’s also turning into standard outdoors China.

Lithium-ion batteries are utilized in cell phones, computer systems, electronics, vitality storage programs and electrical autos. The forecast is that they are going to dominate the lithium market over the following a long time. Nevertheless, there are lots of several types of lithium-ion battery for various functions.

Lithium and most lithium minerals are mined together with different high-value metallic minerals comparable to tin, niobium-tantalum (columbite-tantalite) and uranium (in pyrochlore).

Greenbushes mine in Western Australia is the most important hard-rock lithium mine on this planet. Tantalum can also be mined there. In 2019, the mine’s output capability doubled to 1.34 million tonnes of lithium concentrates yearly after a second processing plant was added.

International lithium mine manufacturing hit a file excessive of 100,000 tonnes in 2021, a 21% improve over 2020 (82,500 tonnes).

As a result of rising curiosity in clear vitality, the demand for lithium has skyrocketed as most nations draw plans to section out fossil gasoline autos and change to zero emission electrical autos. The underlying demand for lithium is anticipated to rise proportionately to the manufacturing and gross sales of these autos. Lithium manufacturing globally grew from 28,100 metric tons in 2010 to 86,000 in 2019. The problem shall be in supplying the market with sufficient lithium.

Three nations, Australia (40,000 tonnes), Chile (20,600 tonnes) and China (14,000 tonnes) mine about 86% of the world’s lithium. Others are Argentina (6,200 tonnes), Brazil (1,900 tonnes), Zimbabwe (1,200 tonnes), USA (900 tonnes) and Portugal (900 tonnes), in accordance with 2020 knowledge.

The most important importers of lithium are South Korea, China, Japan, US and Belgium.

Lithium value was averagely US$2,000 per metric ton in 2002 rising to US$18,000 in 2018.

For the second the discover in Nigeria merely factors to the potential of Nigerian pegmatites for lithium useful resource. Full exploration shall be crucial.

The lithium provide chain includes changing lithium minerals to lithium concentrates and lithium hydroxides.

What concerning the lithium discover in Nigeria?

The primary and most essential level is that the invention doesn’t equate to a business discover. The truth is, it must be taken solely as a primary step within the lengthy journey to be established as a commercially viable deposit that may be mined and extracted to a kind that may be offered to the patron.

In actuality just one or two of lots of of such ‘discoveries’ (finds) could find yourself being a mine after going via the various levels of exploration and improvement. Solely then can a worth be connected to such a ‘discovery’.

It could possibly take 5 – 10 years to completely discover a small to medium sized deposit and take it to manufacturing. That is supplied there aren’t any unexpected technical, monetary and different challenges.

Solely in few very distinctive and extremely viable conditions we will count on a lesser timeframe.

Fairly various elements could make or mar the event journey. These embody proving financial grades and volumes (or tonnages) of the mineral ores, beneficial enabling fiscal and different regulatory environments, price of extraction know-how, market forces and different logistical and sociopolitical points.

An financial quantity of lithium metallic is thought to be related to two minerals: spodumene and lepidolite. Lithium is a component and in nature tends to pay attention sufficiently within the two minerals, spodumene and lepidolite. In any other case it’ll happen dispersed in minerals however not adequate sufficient to be of financial consideration. They’re normally present in specialised rocks referred to as uncommon metal-bearing pegmatites and greisens.

The seek for financial deposits of lithium needs to be focused in these rocks.

In Nigeria, lithium minerals (spodumene and lepidolite) are recognized to be related to cassiterite, columbite-tantalite (coltan) and others within the intensive belt of uncommon metal-bearing rock sorts referred to as pegmatite.

These rock pegmatites stretch from the Wamba space, Nasarawa State, north central; via Egbe-Isanlu, Kogi State; north central, Ondo-Ekiti States, south west; to the Ife-Ilesa, Osun State; south west.

One other belt within the western half of Nigeria, stretching from Zamfara and Kaduna States, north west; via Niger and Kwara States, north central; and Oyo State, south west; is thought to host the uncommon metal-bearing pegmatites.

Some have additionally been present in Obudu, Cross River State, southern Nigeria.

Inside these belts, dozens of occurrences of the uncommon metal-bearing pegmatites are recorded and a few are recognized to have lithium-bearing minerals. Nevertheless, there should not but any commercially viable deposits established or developed. That is regardless of the current wave of curiosity proven by many explorers in response to the worldwide demand for lithium.

Are there environmental considerations?

All mineral mining, particularly metallic minerals and hydrocarbons like petroleum, tar sands and coal are related to environmental air pollution. However there are measures that may be taken to minimise and mitigate these.

Measures embody ensuring that discharges and mine waster are effectively deliberate for. One other is the restoration of the bottom (the bodily, fauna and flora) affected by mining for future use.

There are additionally mining legal guidelines and laws that mining operators are required to observe. They set down penalties operational breaches. Nevertheless, in a rustic like Nigeria lots of the laws aren’t adopted and enforcement is weak.

Additionally environmental impression assessments must be made earlier than any mining can begin.