It is imperative to emphasize that a covert competition for supremacy in the lithium market is underway, with the Chinese government consolidating its authority over global extraction. (1) Of significant importance, China has commenced lithium concentration operations in Zimbabwe, Africa, by establishing a facility that includes a mine in proximity.
Without lithium, copper and rare earths, our mobile phones, electric cars and wind turbines wouldn t function. Currently we are almost exclusively dependent on China for these critical raw materials. But there might be a way out.