Mining News

Domestic News

Six Departments Jointly Issue Guiding Opinions

Focus on Large-Scale Utilization of Ocean Energy

JUMPER TECHNOLOGY

Recently, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the National Energy Administration jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Large-Scale Utilization of Ocean Energy." The goal is to achieve an installed capacity of 400,000 kilowatts by 2030. This includes building a number of island multi-energy complementary power systems and large-scale demonstration projects for ocean energy. The application scenarios of ocean energy will be continuously expanded and enriched, forming a series of efficient, stable, and economical ocean energy technology and equipment products. The legal, policy, and standard systems and market environment for the large-scale and industrialized development of ocean energy will be further improved and perfected, cultivating a group of enterprises with strong technological research and development capabilities and global competitiveness in the large-scale development and utilization of ocean energy.

The opinions clarify the focus on the large-scale utilization of ocean energy, cultivating and creating new productive forces in the marine field, promoting the development of new technologies and models for ocean energy, promoting the integrated development of ocean energy and various offshore production activities, expanding the application scenarios of ocean energy, improving the economic and social benefits of ocean energy development and utilization, and actively building a safe and reliable new offshore energy system to provide strong support for the development of the marine economy and the construction of a strong maritime country.

Sichuan's First Lithium Mine Exceeding One Million Tons

JUMPER TECHNOLOGY

Recently, the Sichuan Provincial Institute of Geological Survey announced that the exploration project of the Dangba lithium mine in Maerkang City, undertaken by its subordinate unit, has passed the review and filing of the Ministry of Natural Resources. An additional 440,000 tons of lithium oxide has been added, bringing the total reserves to 1,120,700 tons (average grade 1.33%), an increase of over 64% from the previous 680,700 tons. This makes it the first lithium mine in Sichuan exceeding one million tons and the largest granite-type lithium deposit discovered in Asia to date. It will support Sichuan in building a national strategic resource base and an advanced materials base. Currently, Sichuan's proven reserves of spodumene lithium exceed 5 million tons (accounting for over 80% of the national total), and a full industrial chain has been formed, from lithium mine development and material production to battery recycling, building a world-class lithium battery industrial base.

Hubei Province Discovers China's Largest Niobium Mine

Reserves Account for 54% of the National Total

JUMPER TECHNOLOGY

According to a major official from the Hubei Provincial Department of Natural Resources, the largest niobium mine in China was discovered in Zhushan County and Zhuxi County, Shiyan City in 2024. The mine contains 2.538 million tons of niobium oxide resources, accounting for 54% of the national total reserves. Niobium, as a key strategic mineral resource, plays an indispensable role in high-end industries such as aerospace and atomic energy.

As the world's largest consumer of niobium resources, China has long faced insufficient niobium resource supply and has been heavily reliant on imports. Data from the General Administration of Customs shows that in 2024, China imported 42,900 tons of ferrovanadium, a 9.7% year-on-year increase. Imports from Brazil accounted for 96% of the total. The discovery of the niobium mine in Hubei Province is expected to alleviate the supply-demand contradiction of China's niobium resources and provide more sufficient resource guarantees for the development of aerospace, national defense, military industry, and nuclear energy.

Xinjiang's First Annual Output of 1,000 Units

New Energy Mining Truck Assembly Production Project Commences Construction

JUMPER TECHNOLOGY

Xinjiang Chuangye New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. launched a project in the Ejin Industrial Park to produce 1,000 new energy mining dump trucks annually. This is Xinjiang's first new energy mining vehicle manufacturing project. With a total investment of 100 million yuan, the project focuses on open-pit mine transportation and plans to build an intelligent production line and a digital assembly workshop to produce 100-ton new energy mining dump trucks. The first batch of products is expected to be launched in June, and the annual output will reach 1,000 units after reaching full production capacity, with each truck weighing 145 tons. These electric dump trucks use advanced power batteries and automatic battery swapping technology, featuring zero emissions, low noise, and high energy efficiency. The total lifecycle operating cost is 35% lower than that of traditional fuel trucks, and annual carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by about 1,500 tons. The project will support the construction of green and intelligent mines in Ejin County, promote green and low-carbon economic development, and promote the optimization and upgrading of the industrial structure.

Discovered in Bayan Obo, Inner Mongolia Kimberlite

JUMPER TECHNOLOGY

At a press conference held by the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Government on February 28, it was announced that the Bayan Obo area in Baotou City, through the "Inner Mongolia Central North China Block Diamond Mineral Survey and Evaluation" project launched in 2022, discovered kimberlite bodies (groups) containing diamonds for the first time. In the exploration from 2022 to 2024, researchers successfully selected 138 diamonds from ore samples and drill cores, ending the more than 60-year exploration gap in the region since the 1960s.

Kimberlite originates from the upper mantle 100-400 kilometers deep below the surface. Its discovery not only provides key evidence for studying regional deep faults and the genesis of rare earth minerals but will also, through follow-up research such as determining the age and type of diamond formation and assessing the amount of gem-grade resources, promote breakthroughs in China's diamond mineralization theory. This discovery was supported by special funds from the Autonomous Region's finance and implemented by the Geological Survey Institute. It represents a major advance in diamond exploration in the North China Block.

 

Mining News

International Perspective

The End of Global Coal Remains Distant

JUMPER TECHNOLOGY

Despite reduced coal use in developed economies, global coal demand reached a record high last year. Emerging Asian markets increased coal-fired power generation to meet growing electricity demand. Since 2015, global coal-fired power generation capacity has increased by 13% to 2,175 gigawatts, with another 611 gigawatts under construction. The International Energy Agency predicts that global coal demand will reach a record high in 2024 and may remain high until 2027. China and India are driving global coal demand growth, with plans to increase coal-fired power generation capacity. A projected significant increase in global electricity demand may slow the pace of coal phase-out in developed economies and drive up coal demand in emerging Asian markets. The US and UK are reducing coal use, while the EU's solar power generation has surpassed coal-fired power generation. However, coal consumption in China and India continues to grow; coal remains a pillar of China's energy system, and India's coal use is also rising.

Global Copper Demand May Face a 50 Million Ton Deficit by 2050

JUMPER TECHNOLOGY

Global energy transition and the development of emerging technologies are driving a surge in copper demand. BHP warned that global annual demand will reach 50 million tons by 2050 (a 70% increase from the current level), but the supply side faces multiple challenges: BloombergNEF estimates that a cumulative investment of US$2.1 trillion is needed to increase capacity, while the efficiency of existing copper mines has reached its limit, and new mine development is constrained by environmental policies and geopolitical risks. International Energy Agency data shows that copper demand in the clean energy sector alone will jump from 6.4 million tons in 2023 to 11.5 million tons in 2035 (nearly one-fifth of current global total demand). The popularization of electric vehicles has doubled the copper consumption per vehicle, and the supply-demand imbalance may push up industry chain costs and delay the carbon neutrality process. The industry calls for increased exploration investment and research and development of recycled copper technology, but high copper prices in the short term may become a new economic risk.

Gallium Mineralization Confirmed at the Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine in the United States

JUMPER TECHNOLOGY

US Critical Minerals Corp. (USCM) announced that its Sheep Creek deposit in Montana has the highest rare earth grade in the United States, containing significant amounts of gallium, which is critical for national defense. The deposit has a rare earth oxide grade as high as 9%, a praseodymium-neodymium oxide grade of 2.4%, and a gallium content between 0.018% and 0.0385%. USCM is advancing the development of this project and collaborating with the Idaho National Laboratory to improve rare earth separation and processing technologies. The discovery of this deposit is of significant importance to ensuring the supply of critical minerals in the United States.