China has made significant strides in boosting its lithium reserves, propelling the country from sixth place to second globally. The nation’s share of the world’s lithium resources has grown from 6% to an impressive 16.5%, following a series of key discoveries throughout the country.
Among the most notable findings is a large spodumene-type lithium belt stretching 2,800 kilometers across the West Kunlun-Songpan-Ganzi area. This belt alone is estimated to contain more than 6.5 million tons of confirmed spodumene, with further exploration suggesting the potential for much larger reserves.
China’s salt lake lithium deposits have also seen significant growth, with new discoveries pushing the country’s reserves above 14 million tons. This places China as the third-largest salt lake lithium resource base, following the South American Lithium Triangle and the western United States.
In addition, technological advancements in lithium mica extraction, especially in the Jiangxi region, have improved the viability of tapping into lithium mica deposits. These innovations have added an additional 10 million tons to China’s lithium reserves and are expected to drive further exploration in regions such as Hunan and Inner Mongolia.
These discoveries are set to play a key role in China’s strategic push for dominance in emerging industries such as electric vehicles, energy storage systems, mobile communications, and nuclear energy, highlighting the growing importance of lithium in the global economy.
Source: Xinhua
