Thailand walks back claim of large lithium discovery.
A Thai official announced on Thursday the discovery of large lithium deposits in southern Thailand that she said represented the world’s third-largest reserves after Bolivia and Argentina of the key battery-making material for electric vehicles.
But on Saturday, the deputy government spokesperson toned down the claim, saying that the ore contained only 0.45% lithium. The deputy spokesperson said this would still be enough to produce one million batteries with a capacity of 50 kilowatt-hours.
Deposits containing lithium were found at two locations in the southern province of Phang Nga, a region of exceptional scenic beauty. One location is estimated to have some 14.8 million tonnes of ore containing lithium while the other site is still being surveyed.
The lithium deposits are the first discovered in Thailand, the government said, adding that large deposits of sodium were also discovered in the country’s northeast. Sodium is another resource for making EV batteries.
The discovery of the lithium deposits had already prompted skepticism. Social media posts by Thai experts, responding to the government announcement, pointed out that the ore quality could be low, and further research would be needed to conclude if it would be suitable for commercial production.
With EV adoption gaining speed in many countries, demand for lithium has surged. Global lithium production expanded 21% in 2022 to 130,000 tonnes, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
Thailand positions electric vehicles as a pivotal growth industry, and Bangkok is working to draw investment from major overseas manufacturers.
Great Wall Motor said on Jan. 12 that it has become the first Chinese automaker to start manufacturing EVs on Thai soil.
In December, the Thai government revealed that Toyota Motor, Honda Motor and two other Japanese automakers will invest a total of 150 billion baht ($4.22 billion) in Thailand over five years toward local production of EVs.
Correction: This story has been amended on the basis of a Jan. 20 post on a Thai government website.
READ the latest Batteries News shaping the battery market
Thailand walks back claim of large lithium discovery. source
