100,000-tonne lithium salt project launches in southern Xinjiang

URUMQI, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- A 100,000-tonne lithium salt project commenced on Sunday in southern Xinjiang's Hotan Prefecture, said the Xinjiang Nonferrous Metals Industry (Group) Co., Ltd.

Output for the first phase project is expected to reach 75,000 tonnes per year, including 30,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate, 30,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide and 15,000 tonnes of lithium chloride. The project is set to be completed by the end of this year, according to the state-owned assets supervision and administration commission of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The lithium salt project is part of the 3-million-tonnes rare metal production project of Xinjiang Nonferrous Metals Industry (Group) Co., Ltd in Hotan. It is a key project of the autonomous region during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). After completion, the project is expected to produce 600,000 tonnes of high-quality lithium concentrate every year.

The construction of the lithium salt project has important strategic significance in terms of consolidating Xinjiang's role in the national lithium salt industry, said Zhang Guohua, chairman of Xinjiang Nonferrous Metals Industry (Group) Co., Ltd.