Are China and Russia taking the lead?
Bolivia has the largest Lithium deposits worldwide. China and Russia are involved in initial pilot projects. What about Germany? Are we prioritizing differently?
Bolivia's Lithium reserves are enormous: Approximately 23 million tonnes of "white gold" are believed to be located in the South American country. Lithium is essential for battery production, whether for smartphones, laptops, or electric vehicles, and is therefore indispensable in the context of Germany's energy transition.
Together with Chile and Argentina, Bolivia forms the South American Lithium Triangle. Politologist Jonas Wolff describes Bolivia's great hope in the podcast "Wirtschaft Welt & Weit": The goal is not just to mine Lithium but also to process it domestically, "in several stages up to batteries".
However, this is still a long way off. Currently, the first pilot projects are being carried out in collaboration with Russia and China, explains Lithium expert André Wolf. Sustainable funding technologies are a focus due to the high water requirements. Why have German companies been less present until now? And how open is there to broader cooperation from the Bolivian side?
In the new podcast episode, host Andrea Sellmann talks with her guests Jonas Wolff and André Wolf about the current situation in Bolivia. How great is the economic uncertainty in the country? What does this mean for investors? And what role does the coup attempt at the end of June play?
Jonas Wolff is a political scientist and peace and conflict researcher. In his work at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), Bolivia is one of his research areas. He has been observing the Andean state for roughly 20 years. André Wolf is head of the department for technological innovation, infrastructure, and industrial development at the Centre for European Politics (cep). For him, Bolivia is economically interesting above all as a raw materials supplier, which is why he is particularly focusing on the development around the Lithium deposits.
Bolivia's raw material trade with China and Russia, mainly focused on Lithium, is instrumental in their initial pilot projects. Given Germany's extensive energy transition plans, leveraging Bolivia's Lithium reserves could significantly benefit our economy.
Despite Germany's potential interest in Bolivia's Lithium reserves, the presence of German companies in raw material trade has been comparatively less, making broader cooperation a potential opportunity for both sides.
