On the 17th, reporters learned from the Ministry of Natural Resources that China has discovered nearly one million tons of lithium resources in Yajiang, Sichuan Province—a single lithium deposit of pegmatite type, currently the largest of its kind ever identified in Asia.
　　“This has set a shining example and paved the way for China to achieve a major breakthrough in lithium exploration!” said Wang Guanghua, Minister of Natural Resources, with great excitement.
　　Lithium is the third element on the periodic table and the lightest metallic element found in nature. As the “green energy metal of the 21st century,” it plays a crucial role in achieving “carbon neutrality.”
　　Electric passenger vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and solar batteries—China’s “new three” products—each and every one is inseparable from lithium.
　　There’s no need to say much about lithium batteries. Whether it’s ternary lithium batteries or lithium iron phosphate batteries, lithium is the key ingredient in electric passenger vehicles. For large-scale energy storage in wind and solar power applications, the lithium iron phosphate battery remains the most cost-effective solution.
　　According to the latest statistics, in 2023, the combined exports of the “new three” products exceeded the trillion-yuan mark for the first time.
　　With lithium, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a single step. For the “new three” industries—such as new-energy vehicles—metallic energy lithium is simply essential, like a daily ration.
　　Global lithium resources are unevenly distributed, with major reserves located in countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Australia, China, and the United States.
　　China has a wide distribution of spodumene and lepidolite deposits, and the country is home to more than 1,500 salt lakes. By intensifying the transfer of lithium mining blocks, we can further unlock the potential for discovering new lithium deposits. Moreover, the exploration degree of some lithium mining rights in China remains relatively low; by further strengthening geological exploration efforts, there is considerable room for increasing lithium reserves.
　　To fully advance the new round of strategic actions for breakthroughs in mineral exploration, promote the exploration and development of lithium resources, increase reserves and production, and drive high-quality development of the lithium-ion new energy industry, the Ministry of Natural Resources is actively promoting the transfer of lithium mining blocks, strengthening the supply of lithium at the source, boosting investor confidence, and fostering a thriving mining market.
　　With mineral resources in hand, one need not feel anxious. The 2024 National Natural Resources Work Conference, which just concluded here, made it clear that while optimizing cooperation on overseas mineral exploration and development and strengthening regional collaboration with areas such as the “Lithium Triangle” in Latin America, China will, based on its national conditions and taking into account characteristics like coexisting and associated minerals, continue to achieve breakthroughs in mineral exploration theories, exploration technologies, and refining processes. This will promote the comprehensive utilization of associated minerals, ensure that China firmly holds its own “food bowl” in the new energy industry, and guarantee that the “new three pillars” will never lack “grain.”