China's lithium reserves rise to second globally from sixth, driven by new discoveries

China has substantially increased its lithium reserves through a string of major discoveries in different parts of the country, catapulting it from sixth place to second globally in terms of lithium resources. According to the China Geological Survey, which operates under the Ministry of Natural Resources, China’s slice of the world’s lithium reserves has risen from 6 percent to 16.5 percent.

One of the noteworthy discoveries is this huge spodumene-type lithium belt that runs for about 2,800 kilometers through the West Kunlun-Songpan-Ganzi area. Just this one stretch has over 6.5 million tons of confirmed spodumene, and there could be more than 30 million tons of it out there waiting to be tapped.

China’s salt lake lithium deposits have also seen a significant jump, with new discoveries pushing reserves above 14 million tons. This development makes China the world’s third-largest salt lake lithium resource base, trailing only the South American Lithium Triangle and the western United States.

Technological advances have been made in lithium mica extraction, especially in the Jiangxi region. These new techniques have made lithium mica deposits much more practical to work with, adding a whopping 10 million tons to China’s lithium stash. This breakthrough will likely push lithium-hunting efforts in places like Hunan and Inner Mongolia.

These discoveries are of major strategic importance, not just for China but also for a range of emerging industries. Lithium continues to be a key element for electric vehicles, energy storage systems, mobile communications, and even nuclear reactor fuel components.