Thai government clarifies on lithium discovery after experts debunk claims

It is estimated that there are about 93 million tonnes of lithium resources in the world, most of which are in South America. - PHOTO: AFP

BANGKOK (The Nation Thailand/ANN): The 14.8 million tonnes of mineral resources discovered recently in Phang Nga province may not be entirely lithium, a rare mineral which is a key component for making batteries for electric vehicles (EV), a government official clarified on Jan 20.

“The 14.8 million tonnes discovered are the total amount of mineral resources and not lithium resources,” deputy government spokeswoman Radklao Inthawong Suwankiri said. “Mineral resources could contain several kinds of minerals, including lithium.”