China: New lithium production project in Tibet

Advanced Battery Technology, Sep 1999

Roskill's Lithium Digest reports that the Geological Science Research Institute of China has formed a joint venture company, Tibet Lithium New Technology Development Co., with the Tibet Mineral Development Co., (40%) and the Yuxin Trading Co., (40%). The government has a 20% stake initially, and it is hoped that banks and plant makers may also take a stake in the project at a later stage.

The company plans to invest up to 2000M yuan in the project, which is expected to start producing in 2002 at a rate of some 10,000 tpy. The project is based at the Zabuye Salt Lake, some 1000km from Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. The lake is estimated to contain more than lMt of lithium carbonate, making it the second largest brine source in the world. The lake also contains large quantities or boron, potassium and caesium. The area had been considered too remote for commercial exploitation, but now commercial operations are becoming possible because the central and regional governments are making major investments in infrastructure.