Rare metal Vanadium discovered off Gujarat coast - how is it significant?

India seems to have hit another jackpot with the discovery of rare element Vanadium off the coast of Gujarat. The discovery has been made in sediment samples, which were collected by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) from the Gulf of Khambhat near Alang town in Bhavnagar district. 

In February this year, an enormous reserve of precious lithium, about 5.9 million tonnes of it, was discovered in the Salal-Haimana area of the Reasi district. Another lithium reserve was found in Rajasthan's Degana and reports say it could complete India's 80% requirement of lithium if the areas are feasible for mining. The government called the discovery a game changer as it could achieve PM Narendra Modi's target of zero emissions by 2070. 

Discovery of Vanadium confirmed

The discovery, according to Balakrishnan Gopakumar of the GSI, maybe the first report on the presence of Vanadium in the offshore sediments in India. The element was discovered after the GSI scientists collected 69 samples consisting of the ore - Titanomagnetite. Notably, Titanomagnetite is the primary source of the element and 88% of the world's Vanadium is extracted from it, according to the study published in the journal Nature. 

What's also worth noting is that Vanadium is also found in 55 different minerals and its lack of occurrence in pure form makes its extraction costly. As for its use, the element can prove extremely beneficial as it is an industrial raw material and has applications across the defence sector as well. 

According to experts, Vanadium can be used to strengthen steel and titanium and Vanadium redox batteries for energy storage. When mixed with titanium and aluminium, it is also used in jet engine parts and electrical components due to its durability against corrosion and high temperatures. As of now, the amount of the element has not been completely ascertained and the deliberations around its mining still haven't begun.