Lithium in Italy: from deep fluids a resource for the energy transition

A recent study published by a team of IGG researchers defines the potential of lithium deposits in Italian territory. The Italian geological context is not the most favorable for conventional lithium deposits (pegmatites and salars), although some situations in Sardinia, Calabria, and the Alpine arc should be investigated in more detail. There is, however, a high potential for unconventional lithium resources in deep fluids that can be used sustainably and with low environmental impact. 

A review of geological, mineralogical, and geochemical data available in Italy has identified two main areas of high potential: the volcanic-geothermal perithyrrhenian belt (Tuscany-Lazio-Campania) where geothermal fluids with lithium concentrations up to 480 mg/l have been intercepted in the past, and the belt at the front of the Apennine chain (from Alexandria to Pescara) where thermal manifestations, with lithium contents up to 370 mg/l, are spatially associated with hydrocarbon deposits.

Reference:
Dini A., Lattanzi P., Ruggieri G. and Trumpy E. (2022) Lithium Occurrence in Italy-An Overview. Minerals, 12, no. 8: 945. https://doi.org/10.3390/min12080945.

For more information: Andrea Dini (CNR-IGG): andrea.dini(at)igg.cnr.it