State-run Coal India is scouting for critical minerals in Argentina and is in talks with officials in Chile for lithium, India's federal mines secretary V. L. Kantha Rao said on Wednesday. India has been exploring ways to secure supplies of lithium,

Coal India Ltd. is planning to invest about 670 billion rupees ($8 billion) to build coal-fired power plants close to its mines, signaling the fast-growing economy will remain reliant on the fossil fuel for decades to come.

The report by global energy think tank Ember said that the total coal mine methane of the fast-developing South Asian nation are set to increase by 106 percent since the last national estimate in 2019.

Cutting emissions by capturing methane from coal mines and substituting it for imported gas could save India up to £741m

"Coal India and some other companies are looking at Argentina," Rao told reporters on the sidelines of an industry event.

Coal India is exploring critical minerals in Argentina and is in discussions with Chile for lithium, according to India's federal mines secretary. The move aims to secure supplies of lithium, essential for electric vehicle batteries.