So sustainable mining of lithium is becoming increasingly important and even required. China – 7,500 tonnes The second source for lithium exploration is in brines, with emphasis on three countries in South America: Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. ... (EIS) from the U.S. government for a proposed lithium mining project in Nevada. But according to an article published by TIME, “lithium mining, as observed in countries with deposits like Chile, Argentina and China, seems to be less hazardous than other kinds of mineral extraction. Put simply, lithium from Australia comes from ore mining, while in Chile and Argentina lithium comes from salt deserts, so-called salars. The Salar de Atacama salt flat is a key resource for the nation, and some of the world’s top lithium-mining companies have set up operations there, including Albermarle and Chile’s SQM. According to The Review, global lithium production dropped 19.2% in 2019 to 77,000 metric tons, but that was still nearly four times the production level from a decade ago. Lithium extraction in Chile, like in other South-American countries, is primarily achieved via solar evaporation of huge brine pools. China is among the five top countries with the most lithium resources and it has been buying stakes in mining operations in Australia and South America where most of the world’s lithium reserves are found. The top five countries for lithium production in 2018 were Australia, Chile, China, Argentina, and Zimbabwe. before 2020. China’s Tianqi Lithium owns 51 percent of Australia produced 51,000 metric tons of lithium that year, the latest for which figures are available. How do the mining methods differ? This statistic shows the countries with the largest lithium reserves worldwide as estimated in 2019. 3. Total global production, excluding the U.S., amounted to 70,000 metric tons. 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