The world has currently entered the era of clean energy. Amidst the increasing demand for electric vehicles, solar systems and battery storage, a new star has emerged in the energy market: Graphite. While a few years ago lithium was called white gold, now graphite is being given the status of black diamond.

Today China dominates graphite production. With reserves of about 81 metric tons, it almost controls the world’s battery supply chain. Chinese companies like CATL and BYD are driving the demand for graphite in electric vehicles and batteries, but now countries like America, Japan and India are coming forward to break this monopoly. India’s plan is clear. Increasing domestic production and becoming self-reliant in battery manufacturing under Make in India.

graphite is the lifeblood of every battery
Graphite is the most important part of any lithium-ion battery. It is used in the anode of the battery, which controls the energy during charge and discharge. Without graphite no battery can remain durable. For this reason it is now being called the backbone of energy technology. Due to limited availability of natural graphite, many countries are emphasizing on the production of synthetic graphite. However, this process requires more energy and fossil fuel, making it costly and harmful to the environment.

India’s new race discovery of black gold
India currently ranks seventh in the world in this regard, but its reserves can soon make it a graphite power. Large reserves have been found in West Siang, Lower Subansiri and Papumpare districts of Arunachal Pradesh. Apart from this, new mining areas are also being discovered in Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh. The Government of India has declared graphite as a critical mineral. Mining companies are being given incentives to increase domestic production. This step is important to reduce dependence on China and give impetus to the electric vehicle industry.

Green graphite the need of the coming decade
Scientists are now looking for solutions by which graphite production can be made environment friendly. There are two big paths ahead for this. The first is to prepare green graphite by taking carbon from new sources and the second is to recycle graphite from old batteries and reuse it. If India invests on both these fronts, it can not only become an alternative to China but can also become the battery power hub of Asia in the coming years.

Countries with the world’s largest graphite reserves
China is currently on top with 81 metric tons of graphite reserves, while Brazil is at second place with 74 metric tons. Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania and Russia come after this. India has about 8.6 metric tons of graphite, which is the highest in South Asia.

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