New Delhi [India], April 29 (ANI): The Appalachian region of the eastern United States contains an estimated 2.3 million metric tons of undiscovered, economically recoverable lithium, a volume sufficient to replace 328 years of American imports at last year's levels, according to new research by the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Doug Burgum, the 55th Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Chairman of the National Energy Dominance Council, highlighted the discovery on X. Burgum noted that the findings from the USGS indicate the region's vast potential, crediting world-leading mineral science and permitting reforms for the progress toward domestic mineral independence.

'@USGS has found that the Appalachian region of the U.S. contains enough lithium to replace 328 YEARS of imports! Thanks to world-leading mineral science, permitting reform and renewed investment in domestic mining, @POTUS has reclaimed America's mineral independence,' Burgum stated.

The research, published in the journal Natural Resources Research, identified 1.43 million metric tons of lithium oxide in the southern Appalachians, primarily concentrated in the Carolinas. An additional 900,000 metric tons are estimated in the northern Appalachians, with concentrations located in Maine and New Hampshire. The lithium exists within large-grained rocks known as pegmatites, which formed from the same geologic forces that built the mountains more than 250 million years ago.

'This research shows that the Appalachians contain enough lithium to help meet the nation's growing needs - a major contribution to U.S. mineral security, at a time when global lithium demand is rising rapidly,' said USGS Director Ned Mamula.

Lithium remains a critical component for the production of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles, military hardware, smartphones, and energy-grid storage. The USGS estimate of 2.3 million metric tons could provide enough material for 130 million electric vehicles or 1.6 million grid-scale batteries.

As per the research, currently, the United States relies on imports for more than half of its lithium consumption, with Australia and China serving as dominant global producers.

'USGS mineral science is the leading edge in the effort to restore America's mineral independence by mapping our nation's mineral resources. Everything else follows on the science: permitting reform and other policy changes to support investment in clean, responsible mining to 21st century standards, and mining workforce training for new American jobs. The United States was the dominant world producer of lithium three decades ago, and this research highlights the abundant potential to reclaim our mineral independence,' Mamula added.

The USGS projected that global production capacity for lithium will double by 2029, driven by increasing demand. While the estimates represent a 50 per cent confidence level, they underscore the potential of domestic resources to stabilize the supply chain for technology companies.

'Lithium pegmatites in the Appalachian region have long attracted scientific attention - the Kings Mountain area of North Carolina was the site of the first large-scale lithium pegmatite mining in the United States, and large Maine deposits have been studied. The new USGS assessments build on that legacy with a more systematic, detailed approach,' the research noted. (ANI)