Bolivia offers to partner, share lithium resources
HYDERABAD: Bolivia can be an ideal partner for the India’s renewable energy sector seeking to ramp up storage and driving the wave of electric mobility, says Sergio Dario Arispe Barrientos, Ambassador of the Latin American country, Bolivia.
The Delhi based Bolivian diplomat said “Bolivia has huge lithium resources, a key input for making batteries for storage and electric mobility vehicles, and India is looking to develop battery, storage solutions for the rapidly expanding renewable energy sector.”
“While Bolivia can provide lithium, India can source cobalt, another important input for batteries from Africa,” he said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the recently concluded CII Energy Summit here, the Bolivian Ambassador told Business Line, “India, in order to tackle its energy matrix, needs to address energy storage for various applications, including industries, residential and other requirements. As it seeks to address this, it needs to look at battery storage in an ambitious manner.”
Backup solutions
“India is putting up missions and backing them up with subsidies. We believe that India as a country would need to address the challenge of battery intensive backup solutions. India would have to resolve the issue of supplies of lithium and cobalt and Bolivia is ready to offer lithium resources partnering through public and private partners,” he explained.
“We have the largest lithium reserves in the world and Cobalt could come from Africa. India is already a manufacturing hub, it now needs a reliable source of supplies. We have National Lithium Company, which could be associated with,” he said.
India has been aggressive on Cop 21, Paris Accord goals, driving the growth of the renewable energy sector and electric mobility. The Fame I and Fame II have been good for the electric vehicles.
“If the goals are to be aggressively met, solar panel installations alone will not be enough. It would need a battery revolution. Bolivia with its large resources of lithium can become a strategic partner for India and provide the key resource,” he explained.
“India has already proved itself for its capability in frugal engineering and could do the same when it comes to battery storage solutions,” he said.
Source: thehindubusinessline
