Azernews.Az

Shift from oil to lithium sparking new global race for strategic resources

The twentieth century unfolded under the sign of oil. Often called "black gold," petroleum powered industrial development, transformed transportation, and redrew the geopolitical map. Access to oil influenced alliances, wars, trade routes, and the rise of major economic powers. Today, the energy transition is at the forefront of the global agenda, and it needs its own fuel. Its name is lithium - the lightest metal, without which we would not have smartphones and laptops, electric vehicles, or energy storage systems for solar and wind power.