Battery Chain Puts Lithium’s Green Credentials Under Microscope
- Group backed by Daimler and Volkswagen starts study in Chile
- Atacama ramp-up is shining a light on fragile ecosystems
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A group backed by German car-making giants Daimler AG and Volkswagen AG has started a study into the environmental impact of lithium mining in Chile, the second-largest supplier of the key ingredient in rechargeable batteries.
GIZ, the German development agency running the initiative, is looking into how pumping up lithium-laced brine from beneath the Atacama salt flat is impacting local water supplies and communities. The project will last about two and a half years, a spokeswoman said.