From Der Spiegel, February 9:
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to perhaps the largest lithium deposit in the world. China is eagerly trying to get its hands on the valuable resource, but the concession is controlled by an Australian company. Work-hungry locals are hoping the conflict will soon be resolved.
The ceiling panels in the Manono community center are disintegrating. A crack runs through the cement floor, diagonally across the room. There is also no electricity, though event organizers have set up a generator outside for the large speakers and microphones. But most of the meeting participants don’t really need any technical assistance as they loudly share their points of view.
In the faded Grande Salle of Manono, a small town in the Democratic Republic of Congo located a two-day drive from the nearest big city, the focus is on global politics. The question is: Who should be allowed access to the minerals of the future located in the earth below their feet? "The Chinese," or "the people from the West?"....*****....According to geologists, though, the earth beneath Manono contains what might be the largest lithium deposit in the world. Completely untouched. Among the old documents from the former Belgian mine operators, there is a geologic study from 1952. Almost as an aside, one sentence in the study mentions the presence of "spodumene," a mineral that contains lithium. It was a significant obstacle to the miners back then, basically waste that just got in the way. But today, it is one of the world's most sought-after raw materials. Experts believe that demand for it will vastly exceed supply before long.Lithium is a vital ingredient in the batteries that power electric cars and so much more. Without lithium, a shift from fossil fuels would hardly be possible – and the price for lithium has exploded in the last two years. "Manono can play a significant role in the supply of the world's lithium demand," says Nigel Ferguson, CEO of the Australian mining company AVZ Minerals. Some have even said that control of Manono will translate to control over the global market price of lithium....
....MUCH MORE
And here I thought the past wars for Katanga Province's riches were a big deal. This could get very bloody.
