[voice of the two sessions] Deputy Jiang Weiping: speeding up the green development of lithium mineral resources in Sichuan

Driven by the global energy revolution and the goal of "double carbon", the lithium industry has developed rapidly and has a strong momentum in recent years. Jiang Weiping, deputy to the National people's Congress and chairman of Tianqi Lithium Industry Co., Ltd., is concerned about the high-quality development of the lithium industry. At the two sessions this year, he put forward a proposal to speed up the green development of lithium ore resources in Sichuan.

Jiang Weiping said that the production and sales of new energy vehicles in China in 2021 were 3.545 million and 3.521 million respectively, an increase of 1.6 times compared with the same period last year. Among them, the production and sales of pure electric vehicles completed 2.942 million and 2.916 million respectively, an increase of 1.7 times and 1.6 times respectively over the same period last year, while plug-in hybrid vehicles completed production and sales of 601000 and 603000 vehicles, an increase of 1.3 times and 1.4 times respectively over the same period last year. In 2021, the production and sales of lithium power batteries in China reached 219.7GWh and 186 GWH, which increased by 1.6 and 1.8 times respectively compared with the same period last year, and the number of vehicles loaded reached 154.5 GWH, an increase of 1.4 times over the same period last year.

Jiang Weiping said that China's lithium carbonate production in 2021 was 298200 tons, an increase of 59.47 percent over the same period last year, while China's lithium hydroxide production reached 190300 tons, an increase of 105 percent over the same period last year. In 2021, the world output of lithium and its derivatives is equivalent to about 660000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent, an increase of more than 50 per cent over the same period last year. The Lithium Branch of China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association predicts that the world output of lithium and its derivatives will exceed 850000 tons in 2022 and 1 million tons of lithium carbonate equivalent in 2023, which will be much higher than that previously predicted by many institutions. China has become the world's largest producer and consumer of basic lithium materials.

It is understood that the distribution of lithium resources in the world is extremely uneven, mainly concentrated in Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, China, the United States, Australia and other countries. The regional distribution of lithium ore (including salt lake lithium ore and solid lithium ore) varies greatly. Australia is the largest supplier of lithium ore, accounting for about 90% of the global lithium ore supply and 37% of the world's total lithium raw material supply.

"although China's lithium resources are among the highest in the world and are relatively rich in varieties, compared with China's lithium salt production capacity, there is a shortage of domestic lithium raw materials and a high degree of external dependence, and 65% of lithium raw materials need to be imported." Jiang Weiping told reporters that at present, major countries in the world have realized the strategic significance of lithium resources. Chile, Bolivia, Mexico and other countries have listed lithium resources as national strategic resources like oil, and the development and utilization of lithium resources have become more and more stringent. Therefore, accelerating the green and efficient development of lithium resources in China is of great strategic significance to ensure the development of the supply chain of lithium power industry.

"Western Sichuan is rich in lithium ore resources. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the hard rock lithium ore in Sichuan Province accounts for 57% of the country's lithium ore resources, ranking first in the country. Methyl card in Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province is the largest microcrystalline spodumene deposit in China, with large reserve scale, high grade and great potential for comprehensive development and utilization. The proved lithium reserves have reached 1.8877 million tons. Lijiagou spodumene deposit in Jinchuan County, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province has proven lithium reserves of about 512100 tons, and nearly 520000 tons of lithium resources in Sizemu area. " Jiang Weiping knows the lithium mineral resources in his hometown like the back of his hand.

He said: on December 2, 2021, focusing on serving the country's carbon peak and carbon neutralization strategy, giving full play to Sichuan's advantages in clean energy resources and the basic advantages of industrial development, and cultivating green and low-carbon new momentum supporting high-quality development, the Sichuan Provincial CPC Committee made a decision to "promote the high-quality development of green and low-carbon industries in order to achieve the goal of carbon neutralization." In order to speed up the transformation of superior resources in Sichuan and build a national lithium industry base, this paper points out the development ideas, puts forward the objectives and tasks, and defines the safeguard measures.

To this end, he suggested:

First, establish and improve the guarantee system for the development and utilization of mineral resources.

We will improve the guidance documents for the development and utilization of mining rights in mining areas, and speed up the work of extending, cleaning up and canceling all kinds of unbuilt, long-term production suspension and expiration applications for renewal, closure and cancellation of mining rights. We will optimize and improve industrial development policies in ethnic minority areas in northwest Sichuan, actively guide enterprises with development conditions to speed up the transformation of resources into production capacity, promote the large-scale, intensive and green development and utilization of lithium ore resources, and promote the construction of national lithium resource bases in an orderly manner.

Second, strengthen the infrastructure construction of mining areas.

Most of the lithium deposits in Sichuan are located in plateau and mountainous areas, so the difficulty of early exploration and mining is relatively high, and the time and investment of laying infrastructure in the early stage is also high. It is suggested that the overall layout, scientific and orderly planning, strengthen the infrastructure construction of the mining area, ensure the production and life factors such as roads and hydropower, enhance the attractiveness and participation in the development of the mining area, and introduce enterprises with higher mining and processing capacity. high quality to promote the development and utilization of mineral resources.

Third, establish a benefit-sharing mechanism.

Most of the lithium resource bases in Sichuan are located in ecologically fragile areas, so we should fully rely on the industrial advantages of other areas in Sichuan with a higher degree of industrialization and greater environmental capacity, give better play to the advantages of "enclave economy", and realize the sharing of interests through the exchange of resources. promote green development.