[SMM Analysis] Qinghai Salt Lake Lithium Extraction Achieves Major Breakthrough: Overall Plant Recovery Rate Exceeds 90

It is reported that on January 19, the world's first 20,000-tonne desalinated brine adsorption lithium extraction production line was completed and put into operation at Qinghai CITIC Guoan Technology Development Co., Ltd., meeting all performance targets. This achievement follows the company’s earlier commissioning of the world’s first 6,000-tonne-scale demonstration line for extracting battery-grade lithium carbonate from lithium precipitation mother liquor via solvent extraction in 2025. It represents another major industrial breakthrough in the efficient development of salt lake lithium resources and marks a significant step forward in strengthening China’s self-sufficiency in lithium resource supply.

The project employs a proprietary desalinated brine adsorption lithium extraction process independently developed by Qinghai CITIC Guoan Technology Development Co., Ltd., supported by multiple patents. Through systematic full-process optimization and technological innovation, it has successfully overcome the long-standing technical bottleneck of high lithium loss during solar pond enrichment. Actual production data show that the technology has increased lithium recovery in solar ponds from less than 50%—the industry norm—to over 78%, while boosting the overall lithium recovery rate in the production plant from 75.38% to 90.41%. The new process also significantly shortens the average production cycle for battery-grade lithium carbonate. It greatly reduces lithium resource losses traditionally associated with solar evaporation, without compromising the comprehensive utilization of associated resources such as potassium and boron. This advancement achieves synergistic improvements in resource efficiency, economic benefits, and environmental performance.