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Qinghai 100 Billion Yuan Lithium Market Attracts Domestic and Overseas Enterprises

Qinghai, a province whose lithium resource reserve accounts for one third of global total reserve, promises a fertile land of investment for many enterprises in the industry.

In 2014, the “Qinghai Province Development Plan of 100 Billion Yuan Grade Lithium Battery Industry” clearly proposed to convert the advantage of Qinghai Province’s lithium battery industry to economic advantage to the maximum degree, construct 100 billion yuan grade lithium battery industrial base with considerable influence nationwide in Qinghai.

Qinghai lithium industry development has entered a “new window period”, the 100 billion yuan grade lithium industrial base construction is flourishing. In the vast Qaidam Basin, backed by abundant resource advantage, since 2003, many enterprises with forward vision in Qinghai actively explored salt lake lithium extraction technology, after years of efforts, they successfully produced lithium carbonate and related serial products, and developed relatively full-fledged upstream industry for lithium battery industry. Today, with the integrated development and utilization of salt lake resources, Qinghai has developed 40000 t/a lithium carbonate capacity, and has become the world’s biggest lithium carbonate production base.

From far to near to downstream, in Xining, Qinghai continually strengthened efforts to implement “investment invitation for industrial chain”, positive material, negative material, and separator film manufacturers related to lithium battery industry including Taifeng Pulead Lithium Energy, Qinghai Tuo Hai New Material, Qinghai GreenGrass of Amperex Technology Co., Ltd one after another landed in Qinghai, development of mid and downstream industries are also in full swing.

The separation between upstream salt lake manufactures and downstream lithium battery manufacturers was once a bottleneck restraining the development of Qinghai lithium battery industry. Before last year, Qinghai lithium battery enterprises still depended on out-of-town or overseas purchase of lithium carbonate raw materials for production.

In 2015, Qinghai restructured and integrated upstream East Taijnar Salt Lake Company, and changed it into a company of mixed ownership. Before integration, many lithium resource exploitation enterprises in Qinghai worked separately in their own preferred way, the development efficiency was relatively low. After integration was completed, the absolute majority of lithium carbonate raw materials used by Qinghai lithium battery enterprises came from Qinghai’s salt lake enterprises.

Against the macro background of raw material shortage, the output of lithium carbonate by Qinghai salt lake enterprises not only solved enterprise dilemma of waiting for raw materials for production, but also supported enterprises to expand construction and expand capacity, and become powerful support to enterprise rapid development.

Today, from Qaidam Basin to Hehuang Valley, from Qarhan Salt Lake to the emerging economic and technological development zone, in the twinkling of an eye, driven by industrial policy, a world-class lithium battery base is being nurtured at fast pace in Qinghai.

According to insiders, currently, by relying on advantage of lithium carbonate industry developed in upstream, Nanchuan Park planned and created Negative and positive material – Film – Power energy storage battery industrial chain, and has attracted a batch of lithium battery enterprises to join the Park. The Park’s lithium battery positive material has developed 20000 tonnes of total capacity, the capacity under construction is 35000 tonnes. Wherein, Taifeng Pulead Company’s lithium iron phosphate and ternary positive material have completed 15000 tonnes of production capacity, Phase III 35000 t/a Positive Material Project has completed planning, the Stage 1 of Phase III 10000t/a Positive Material Project is now making equipment purchase, and is scheduled to be completed and launched into production at the end of 2017. By that time, Taifeng Pulead will become the world’s biggest manufacturer of positive material such as lithium iron phosphate and ternary etc.

Battery assembly started from scratch, electric vehicle project began to kick off, lithium battery supporting industries witnessed rapid development, research on application of power and energy storage lithium battery is making steady progress……In the next step, Nanchuan Industrial Park will follow the strategic deployment of “striving to build 100 billion yuan grade lithium battery industrial base with nationwide influence by 2020” and “focusing on constructing new energy automobile industrial cluster, carrying out enhancement of salt lake lithium salt purification, lithium ion power battery and its key material industrialization” put forward by the CPC Provincial Committee and the Provincial Government, grab the opportunity of rapidly growing demand for lithium battery from worldwide, strengthen R&D and breakthrough of battery key material technologies, especially battery core, single cell and modular technology. Support ATL (Amperex Technology Limited) and Qinghai GreenGrass of Amperex Technology Co., Ltd to expand production size, while propelling BYD’s annual 10 GWh lithium battery and supporting facility, and early stage work for annual 300 million ampere hour battery project of Qilu Water Affairs Group, actively drive forward consumer-oriented lithium ion battery production project.

At present, Qinghai has initially developed upstream & downstream integrated industrial chain covering salt lake lithium extraction— electronic Lithium carbonate — negative and positive material—lithium battery manufacture etc, lithium industry quickened the pace to develop toward clustered and large scale directions, and is becoming a new economic growth point.

Led by lithium industry, Qinghai’s technology indicators and technological equipment in poly-silicon, cell battery film, energy storage battery industries rank among top positions nationwide, emerging industries such as energy saving and environmental protection, information industry, and high-end manufacture experienced rapid development, the whole province’s economic structure continued to be optimized.