China uncovers 490-million-tonne lithium ore deposit
The discovery was led by the Mineral Resources Survey Institute of Hunan Province, which cited the role of advanced exploration technologies and long-term geological surveys in identifying the complex deposit. It is said to have have taken the institute “years of exploration work” to find the reserve.
The ore is lithium-containing granite rock, which is crushed and the lithium oxide extracted using separation processes. Unlike lithium deposits found in brine, where the lithium is extracted through evaporation in large basins, the extraction process from ore is easier to manage. Processing can be carried out more quickly and cost-effectively. In addition, production volumes can be better controlled. The lithium ore is said to also contain additional mineral resources such as rubidium, tungsten and tin.
Speaking to China’s Xinhua News Agency and reported by CGTN, Xu Yiming, a professor at the institute, said the newly identified reserve will provide strategic resource security for the new-energy industry in Chenzhou, the prefecture-level city administering Linwu County. The region is seeking to expand its position in China’s growing battery materials sector, supported by this latest find.
Just last year, China reported having found a lithium deposit in Yajiang in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan. It allegedly holds nearly one million tonnes of the world’s most lightweight metal. At the time, local media explained that it would benefit the country greatly as lithium is used in China’s “New Three” export items, namely new-energy vehicles, lithium batteries and solar panels. These supposedly generated nearly 149 billion dollars in exports in 2023.
According to German newspaper heise, China’s lithium reserves could increase even further. Engineers are said to be investigating the approximately 2,800 km long spodumene belt in Tibet for lithium-bearing ore. Estimates suggest that the deposits there could contain 30 million tonnes of lithium.
The China Geological Survey reported in January that the country’s total lithium reserves have increased to account for 16.5 per cent of global deposits, ranking it second in the world. Only Chile has even more lithium reserves. Nevertheless, China controls more than 70 per cent of global lithium refining capacities.
The new deposit thus further consolidates China’s role as a major holder of lithium reserves amid intensifying global competition for battery raw materials. The country continues to invest in upstream exploration and mining to secure a domestic supply for its expanding electric mobility value chain.
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