China makes 540,000,000-ton lithium find which could have major impact on global EV battery supply

China has just made a 540,000,000-ton find of lithium ore, which could alter the global EV battery supply for decades to come.

The discovery – made in Hunan province over the last few days – could have massive repercussions.

It follows a growing, global trend of chasing such raw materials.

And it’s a find that could cement the dominance of China in global EV battery supply.

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Massive lithium discovery in Hunan could change EV world

Hunan Province in China might just be the epicentre of a global change in EVs.

It is there that China has announced the finding of 540,000,000 tonnes of lithium.

Anybody who knows anything about batteries knows just how important lithium is.

It’s a vital component in the crafting of electric vehicles, as well as communications and energy storage.

But this major new discovery is big for another reason.

And that’s the fundamental nature of the lithium ore itself.

To put it simply, the lithium ore find is composed of an altered, granite-type structure.

This structure, typically mined using hard-rock methods, offers a lot of advantages.

It allows faster crushing and processing, which means it has lower up-front cash costs.

The nature of the structure also allows for more flexible product outputs, meaning it can be exploited quicker and more efficiently under many different conditions.

Lithium ore discovery could make China dominant force in global EV battery supply

This 540,000,000-ton discovery could not have come at a better time for China.

With the rising trend and demand in EVs, the demand for lithium is soaring in parallel.

Western countries are forming new alliances in the search for new natural resource deposits.

Meanwhile, in 2022, China accounted for 76 percent of the world’s lithium exports.

This year saw China rise to second, with 16.5 percent, in the world’s global lithium ore reserves.

It is second only to the South American nation of Chile in terms of its reserves.

China also currently controls more than 70 percent of global lithium refining capacity.

This gives the country a dominant role in turning the mined ore into battery-grade chemicals.

Will this discovery see it become even more of a dominant, global EV force?