Dunno if I already shared this here, but it perfectly fits to this thread ...
Source translated with Google:
https://www.jornaldeleiria.pt/detalhe-noticia-print/8802
economy
14 June 2018
Pombal company has the largest lithium mine in Europe
Portugal is the fifth largest producer of lithium, the basic element for electric batteries. The largest mine in Europe is operated by a Mota Group company.
The latest report by the US Geological Survey, quoted recently by the weekly Expresso, places Portugal as the fifth largest producer of lithium in the world - the basic raw material used in the manufacture of electric batteries -, where a company with links to the region stands out: Felmina .
This unit is part of the Mota Group of Pombal, owned by businessman Carlos Mota and fund manager Oxy Capital, and is one of the main operators in the lithium area in Portugal, exploring for several years the largest mine in Europe.
Located in Gonçalo, in the Guarda district, this deposit is responsible for a significant part of the national lithium production, which, similar to what happens with other exploration in the country, is practically all routed to the ceramics industry, being used to reduce the consumption.
"In this sector, lithium provides stability to the product base and to reduce the melting point of pastes, allowing energy savings," explains Carlos Almeida, a geologist who coordinates the Mineral Resources Working Group of the Portuguese Association of Geologists.
But the growing interest in lithium in Portugal, which is concentrated in the districts of Guarda, Viseu, Vila Real and Viana do Castelo, is related to world demand for this raw material, especially for the automotive industry, which is increasingly bet on the manufacture of electric cars.
There are already studies that estimate that in the next decade, the number of such cars will increase from the current two million to "20 million in 2013", which may require "six times more lithium carbonate than is currently used in the world market", underlines an article published recently by
Expresso .
"There will be an exponential demand and Portugal has great potential. Today, we have a huge set of small mines that could become rich mines, "says Carlos Almeida, acknowledging that for the time being, the country does not have" infrastructures "to treat ore [LER_MAIS] and transform it in lithium carbonate, used in the manufacture of batteries, not only for cars, portable killers, digital cameras, among other products.
You do not, but you can. In recent times, the interest of international investors in Portuguese lithium reserves has intensified.
This is the case of the Lepidico Australians, who, according to Expresso , recently met with representatives of Felmica. This information is confirmed to JORNAL DE LEIRIA by a company source, according to which there is already an agreement to carry out "drills up to 200 meters deep to see the strength of lithium for the production of batteries", and currently the exploration does not go beyond 20 meters, because "for the ceramic industry it is not profitable to go further down."
Founded in 1976, Felmica is dedicated to the extraction and processing of raw materials for the ceramics industry. With a production of 30 thousand tons per year, this company of the Mota Group, which is headquartered in Mangualde, moves 85% of the lithium ore in Portugal.
According to an article in National Geographic Portugal, Felmica has assessed reserves of 2 million tonnes of lithium ores and the potential could reach 10 million, considering spodumena, petalite and lepidolite, the three most common lithium minerals .
The company currently operates four mines in the Barroso-Alvão area (Guarda and Vila Real) and the Serra da Arga (Viana do Castelo). Lithium is a chemical element that can be extracted from mineral deposits (mines) but also from salt lakes, namely the Himalayas and the Andes (Chile, Argentina and Bolivia).
According to
National Geographic Portugal, it is also in this South American region that 75% of known reserves are concentrated. In the case of lithium coming from the subsoil, it is necessary to transform it - lithium carbonate - to be used in the manufacture of batteries.
The lithium in Portugal is mainly used in the ceramic industry and, to a much lesser extent, in the production of glass. Lithium carbonate also has applications in the pharmaceutical field in medicines for the treatment of bipolar disease.
The metal is still used in the "manufacture of airplanes, in aluminum alloys," reports the Jornal de Negócios. The discovery of lithium occurred in the nineteenth century, but "the element was only isolated as metal in 1855 and only in 1923 began the first commercial production of lithium by Metallgesellschaft," the newspaper adds.
EDITING BY Maria Anabela
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