One of the advantages of hard rock lithium deposits over other sources, such as lithium-rich brines, is their global distribution, with known occurrences in more than 60 countries distributed over all continents (Figure 1). In addition, hard rock lithium mineral deposits do not only serve as a source for lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide used in the battery market, but can also yield high-purity mineral products for the ceramic and glass industries.
Available databases on the occurrence of hard rock lithium minerals are often restricted to a few dozen well-known deposits, often lack consistency (for example concerning the type of resource estimates used) and rarely cite the sources from which the original information has been extracted. This renders data verification and comparison very difficult, if not impossible.
Tercienco bvba, in cooperation with GF Consult bvba, have constructed a comprehensive, internally consistent and traceable database of the currently-known hard rock lithium mineral occurrences in the World.
The database contains over 770 sites where such Li-mineralisation is known to exist, including 17 operating mines, 52 projects that are in an advanced stage of exploration or development, and more than 450 projects that are currently in an early stage of exploration.