Japanese Government Mulls Aid to Bolivia to Secure Supply of Lithium for Batteries
By Scott Doggett April 5, 2010
The Japanese government plans to offer comprehensive an economic aid package to Bolivia in exchange for supplies of lithium for use in batteries for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery-electric vehicles, The Nikkei newspaper (subscription required) reported today.
In what would be the first such deal, the government is considering extending hundreds of millions of dollars in loans by May or June to help build a 100-megawatt geothermal power plant planned by Bolivia, which in turn would allow Japan to secure supplies of lithium.
The aid package would also include $4.7 million in grants for installing solar panels in hospitals in the city of La Paz, as well as cooperation in building an alpaca wool textile business and promoting the adoption of terrestrial digital televisions.
Japan will also continue to cooperate scientifically and technologically to build businesses around lithium.
About half of the world's lithium deposits are believed to be in Bolivia's Great Lake of Uyuni. Japan, France, Brazil and other countries are vying to tap these mostly undeveloped reserves. Bolivia is expected to decide in the first half of this year which companies will be awarded the development work.
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