El lithium Eminyakeni embalwa nje, iye yasuka ekubeni into engaziwa kakhulu yaba enye yezinsiza ezibaluleke kakhulu emhlabeni. Izakhiwo zayo ezikhethekile, njengekhono layo lokugcina amanani amakhulu amandla, bayibeke enkabeni yezimboni ezimbalwa ezibalulekile ezifuna ukunciphisa ukuncika kwazo i-petroleum. I-lithium ayibalulekile nje kuphela kwezobuchwepheshe besimanje, kodwa futhi iyinsika eyisisekelo amandla avuselelekayo futhi i i-electromobility.
Ukubaluleka kwe-lithium emnothweni womhlaba
I-Lithium izuze ukuhambisana okukhulu ngenxa yesidingo sayo esikhulayo ku imboni yezobuchwepheshe, ikakhulukazi ekukhiqizeni amabhethri i-lithium-ion yamadivayisi kagesi futhi, ikakhulukazi, ye izimoto zikagesi (VE). Ukushintshwa kwamandla emhlabeni wonke kwenze lesi sici saba yinsika eyisisekelo embonini yezimoto, efuna ukunciphisa ukukhishwa kwe-CO2 ngokwamukelwa kobuchwepheshe obuhlanzekile.
Isidingo esikhulayo senyuke intengo ye-lithium eminyakeni yamuva nje. Ngo-2021 nango-2022, baphindaphindeka cishe izikhathi eziyisishiyagalolunye, beqhutshwa ukukhula i-electromobility kanye namandla avuselelekayo. Ngokusho kwe-International Energy Agency, isidingo se-lithium singaphindaphindeka ngo-42 ngo-2040 ngaphansi kwesimo sentuthuko esimeme.
Izakhiwo kanye nokusetshenziswa kwe-lithium
I-lithium iyinsimbi elula kunazo zonke futhi inokushisa okukhethekile okuphezulu, okuyenza ibe into efanelekile yokugcina amandla. Ibalulekile ku:
- Amabhethri e-lithium ion, okudingekayo ezintweni zikagesi ezifana namakhompyutha aphathekayo, omakhalekhukhwini, amakhamera namathuluzi kagesi aphathwayo.
- Izimoto zikagesi kanye ne-hybrid. Izimoto ezinamabhethri e-lithium azikhiphi i-CO2 ngesikhathi sokusetshenziswa, okunomthelela ekwehliseni ukukhishwa kwezinto ezikhishwayo emhlabeni wonke kanye nokukhuthaza ukuhamba okuzinzile.
- Imithi kanye ne-ceramics. Nakuba zingabonakali kangako, izinhlanganisela ze-lithium ziphinde zisetshenziswe ekwenzeni izitsha zobumba ezikwazi ukumelana nokushisa kanye nokwelapha izifo eziguquguqukayo.
Ikusasa lale mineral iyaqhubeka nokuphenywa, futhi kulindeleke ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kwayo kuzoqhubeka nokukhula ekusetshenzisweni okusha kwezimboni.
Izindawo ze-lithium zomhlaba
I-Las umhlaba we-lithium reserves zigxile ogwadule nasezindaweni ezomile zaseNingizimu Melika, ikakhulukazi e I-Lithium Triangle, eyakhiwe yiBolivia, Argentina kanye neChile. Lonxantathu uyikhaya cishe ku-56% wezinsiza ze-lithium emhlabeni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, amanye amazwe abalulekile mayelana neziqiwi ahlanganisa i-China ne-Australia.
Emazweni aseNingizimu Melika, iBolivia yiyona enkulu kunazo zonke izinqolobane ezingasetshenziswanga. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iChile ingumkhiqizi wesibili ngobukhulu emhlabeni, ngokubamba iqhaza okuphawulekayo emakethe ye-lithium yomhlaba wonke. Ngokwezinga elincane, i-Argentina izenzele njengomdlali osafufusa, njengoba ikhulise kakhulu ukukhiqizwa kwayo eminyakeni yamuva.
I-lithium ikhishwa ngokuyinhloko emithonjeni emibili: i-brine (emafulethini kasawoti) y idwala eliqinile (pegmatites). I-brine deposits itholakala ezindaweni ezinosawoti eNingizimu Melika, kuyilapho ama-pegmatites egcwele e-Australia.
Ngokombiko wakamuva we-US Geological Survey, i-Chile igxile ku-41% weziqiwi zomhlaba, kuyilapho i-Australia inama-25,4% kanye ne-Argentina 9,8%. Kukhona futhi amanani amancane e-lithium eBrazil, eMexico, ePeru nakwamanye amazwe.
Ukukhishwa kanye nomthelela wemvelo
Nakuba i-lithium ibalulekile ekushintsheni emnothweni oluhlaza, ukukhishwa kwayo akukhona ukuphikisana, ikakhulukazi uma kuziwa emthelela wayo wemvelo. Ukukhipha i-lithium emaflethini kasawoti kusebenzisa amanzi amaningi, isisetshenziswa esiyigugu kakhulu ezindaweni ezomile lapho amadiphozithi atholakala khona. Ezindaweni ezifana neSalar de Atacama (Chile), kuze kufike 21 million wamalitha amanzi ngosuku kuphela ukukhiqizwa kwe-lithium. Lokhu kuye kwabangela izinkinga zokushoda kwamanzi emiphakathini yendawo futhi kwathinta izinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo, kuhlanganise nezinhlobo ezisengozini njengama-flamingo.
Enye indlela yokukhipha i-hard rock (pegmatites), kodwa le ndlela idinga amandla amaningi futhi iphinde ikhiqize ukukhishwa kwegesi ebamba ukushisa. Uma kuqhathaniswa, isizinda se-lithium esivela kusawoti flat sikhipha cishe Amagesi abamba ukushisa aphindwe izikhathi ezingu-7,8 kunokukhishwa kwedwala eliqinile.
Kubalulekile ukukusebenzisa imithetho eqinile ukunciphisa umthelela wemvelo wemboni ye-lithium. Ngalo mqondo, umbiko we-ECLAC ugqamisa isidingo sokusungula izinhlaka zokulawula eziqinisekisa ukusimama kwezenhlalo nezemvelo kwalawa maphrojekthi.
I-Lithium Triangle kanye namandla ayo esikhathi esizayo
Okuthiwa I-Lithium Triangle Ihlanganisa i-Argentina, iBolivia neChile, izibeka njengesifunda esibaluleke kakhulu ngokwemithombo ye-lithium. Lawa mazwe amathathu agxile ngaphezu kwama-62%. izinsiza ze-lithium zomhlaba, okubanikeza indima ebalulekile ekuthuthukisweni komnotho oluhlaza emhlabeni wonke.
Kulo mongo, ngenkathi i-Chile ihole ekukhiqizeni amashumi eminyaka, i-Argentina ihlangabezane ne-boom yakamuva ekuthengisweni kwayo, ifinyelela izibalo zamarekhodi, futhi iBolivia inamandla amakhulu kakhulu angasetshenzisiwe, nakuba ibhekene nezinselele mayelana nengqalasizinda.
Ohulumeni bala mazwe bayathuthukisa amamodeli okukhiphayo aqinile nokubamba iqhaza okukhulu komnotho wabo ochungechungeni lwenani le-lithium. E-Chile, isibonelo, kukhona uguquko ukusuka kumodeli eyimfihlo ukuya kweyodwa ukubambisana komphakathi nezizimele, ngenkathi ise-Argentina, isifundazwe ngasinye sixoxisana ngezinkontileka namazinga okukhipha ngokwehlukana.
Imakethe ye-lithium yomhlaba wonke
Imakethe ye-lithium yomhlaba wonke ibibuswa eminyakeni yamuva nje yi-Australia, Chile, Argentina kanye neChina. Mayelana nesidingo, iningi livela emazweni ase-Asia, ekubeni China, South Korea kanye Japan abangenisi abakhulu be-lithium.
Ukusetshenziswa kwe-lithium kukhule kusuka cishe kumathani angama-25 ngo-1900 kuya ngaphezulu amathani ayi-100.000 ngo-2021. Ngezilinganiso zokukhula ezilinganisa ukukhiqizwa kwe 400.000 amathani ngo-2030, imboni ye-lithium ibekwe njengenye yezibaluleke kakhulu ekuthuthukisweni komhlaba jikelele kwesikhathi esizayo.
Phakathi kuka-2021 no-2022, a ukukhuphuka okukhulu kwamanani e-lithium, iphindaphinda inani layo izikhathi eziningana. Lokhu kusho ukukhula okukhulu kwempahla ethunyelwa ngaphandle evela emazweni afana ne-Argentina neChile.
Isidingo se-lithium kulindeleke ukuthi siqhubeke nokudlula ukunikezwa eminyakeni ezayo. Lesi simo sizofaka ingcindezi kubakhiqizi ukuthi bandise ukusebenza kwabo kanye nohulumeni ukuthi basungule imithethonqubo elinganisa ukuthuthukiswa komnotho nokuhlonipha imvelo kanye nemiphakathi yendawo.
I-Lithium iye yavela njengenye yezinsiza ezinamasu kakhulu ekhulwini lama-21. Iqhaza layo elibalulekile ekushintsheni kwamandla kanye ne-electromobility ikwenza kube yinto ebalulekile ekuthuthukisweni okusimeme. Nokho, ukumbiwa kwayo kuletha izinselelo zenhlalonhle-yemvelo okufanele kubhekwane nazo ngokushesha ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi le minerali ifaka isandla ekuthuthukisweni komhlaba wonke ngaphandle kokubeka engcupheni inhlalakahle yemiphakathi kanye nemvelo.