On January 8, the China Geological Survey of the Ministry of Natural Resources announced a major breakthrough in lithium ore exploration in China. Newly added resources of spodumene-type, salt lake-type, and lepidolite-type lithium ore have all exceeded 10 million mt. China's lithium ore reserves have increased from 6% to 16.5% of the global total, rising from sixth to second place worldwide, reshaping the global lithium resource landscape.
Lithium, known as the "metal of the future," holds a pivotal position in modern society. As a key element in emerging industries such as NEVs, ESS, mobile communications, disease treatment, and nuclear reactor fuel, lithium is closely tied to people's daily lives. For a long time, China's lithium resources have been highly dependent on imports, with a large proportion of imports increasing production costs and constraining the development of related industries.
In this breakthrough, the newly discovered West Kunlun–Songpan–Ganzi lithium metallogenic belt, stretching 2,800 kilometers, is a world-class spodumene-type lithium metallogenic belt. The discovery of this belt has significantly enriched the types and distribution of China's lithium ore resources, leading exploration efforts in regions such as Xinjiang, Sichuan, and Qinghai, and providing new directions for lithium ore exploration and development in China.
According to preliminary statistics, the metallogenic belt has identified over 6.5 million mt of lithium ore resources, with a resource potential exceeding 30 million mt, which is expected to further enhance China's lithium ore reserves.
In addition to spodumene-type lithium ore, China has also made significant progress in the development of salt lake lithium resources. Through investigation and evaluation, newly added salt lake lithium resources in China have reached over 14 million mt, making it the world's third-largest salt lake-type lithium resource base, following the Lithium Triangle in South America and the western US. Salt lake lithium resources have low development costs and minimal pollution, offering broad development prospects.
Moreover, China has achieved important breakthroughs in lithium extraction technology from lepidolite, addressing the challenges of high lithium content but complex and costly extraction processes. This has improved utilization rates and economic efficiency, opening up new opportunities for lepidolite-type lithium ore exploration. Statistics show that regions such as Jiangxi have added over 10 million mt of lepidolite-type lithium ore resources. This breakthrough is expected to promote new exploration efforts in regions such as Hunan and Inner Mongolia, becoming an important growth point for lithium resources.
This major breakthrough in lithium ore exploration is attributed to the in-depth implementation of the new round of strategic actions for exploration breakthroughs. The China Geological Survey, in collaboration with provincial geological exploration units and mining enterprises, launched a concentrated effort to explore lithium ore nationwide, achieving a series of significant breakthroughs in Sichuan, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Jiangxi, Inner Mongolia, and other regions.
This major breakthrough in lithium ore exploration will effectively alleviate the tight supply of lithium resources in China, drive the rapid development of China's new energy industry, and promote the healthy development of the global lithium resource market, enhancing China's position and influence in the global lithium resource market.
