In the context of the vigorous development of new energy globally, the demand for lithium resources, represented by new energy electric vehicles and clean energy energy storage, is increasing day by day. Recently, a new breakthrough has been made in the key technologies for extracting and separating lithium resources from salt lakes in Qinghai, attracting attention from the energy industry. The research team led by Li Lijuan from the Qinghai Salt Lake Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has successfully overcome the technical bottleneck of efficient separation of lithium, sodium, and potassium ions in the lithium-containing mother liquor. Compared with similar technologies abroad and at home, this technology is currently the only solution that simultaneously meets the four goals of "economically feasible, efficient recovery, clean production, and high-quality products", providing key technical support for the high-quality development of China's salt lake lithium industry. Expert assessment shows that this technology has reached the international leading level, and its industrial application is expected to provide important support for the efficient recovery and high-value utilization of salt lake lithium resources throughout the process. 

Overcoming the technical challenge of high lithium loss rate 

Currently, the development of lithium resources worldwide follows two completely different paths. One is the hard rock lithium mines in Australia, which involve direct mining and smelting, with a clear process but high costs and high energy consumption. The other is the lithium extraction from salt lakes in China and South America, which relies on natural evaporation, separation, and extraction methods, requiring extremely high technical and engineering capabilities. The lithium extraction from salt lakes in the Qaidam Basin of Qinghai is widely recognized as the most challenging type, due to the high magnesium and low lithium impurities, with many ions such as magnesium, sodium, and potassium highly coexisting and interfering with each other. 

The recovery of lithium mother liquor is a solution to the serious problem of lithium resource loss in salt lake brine, and it is a key link in achieving efficient secondary resource recovery throughout the process of extracting lithium from salt lakes. It is related to the improvement of resource utilization efficiency and social economic benefits. In simple terms, lithium mother liquor refers to the remaining high-salt impurity solution after conventional lithium extraction. In the past, this part was difficult to be further utilized and also brought about processing problems and environmental pressure. 

Researcher Li Lijuan from the Qinghai Salt Lake Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences told the reporter during the interview: "Our team has spent a total of 20 years conducting in-depth research. We have pioneered a green and efficient lithium extraction and separation technology. By independently designing and synthesizing new lithium-specific extraction agents, we have systematically solved the technical problems in environmental protection, safety and cost control of the traditional extraction system." 

This time, Li Lijuan's research team further optimized the efficient separation of various ions in the lithium precipitation solution. The core of this is to form a new type of lithium extraction system that can be reused. The application results show that this technology can increase the comprehensive recovery rate of lithium resources by 15% to 20% and reduce the cost by more than 30%, providing a feasible path for the efficient recovery and clean utilization of lithium resources from salt lakes. 

Overall, the key advantages of the extraction and separation technology for lithium resources from Qinghai salt lakes lie in its high efficiency in increasing production, low carbon emissions, and cost reduction. It has successfully overcome the technical bottleneck of high lithium loss rate in the salt fields of Qinghai salt lakes that has persisted for a long time. 

Exploring efficient recovery and utilization of lithium resources 

The lithium resources in China's salt lakes are mainly distributed in Qinghai and Xizang. The salt lake resources in Qinghai account for nearly half of the total salt lake resources in China. The breakthroughs and applications of lithium extraction technology from salt lakes are explored and practiced by scientific research institutions and production enterprises. 

In 2024, the subsidiary of CITIC Anqi Group, Qinghai CITIC Anqi Group Technology Development Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "CITIC Anqi Qinghai Technology"), initiated and implemented the resource recovery and comprehensive utilization project for the first time in the industry. At the beginning of the project, it selected technical cooperation partners through an open tendering process throughout the industry, and invited industry experts to conduct two rounds of strict assessment and evaluation, ultimately choosing the green and efficient extraction and separation lithium extraction technology solution provided by the Qinghai Salt Lake Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences as the technical path for the smooth implementation of the project. 

The application results are the most effective way to test the effectiveness of the technology. In 2025, CITIC Anqing Qinghai Technology completed the construction of the world's first industrial demonstration line for extracting and purifying lithium from brine in salt lakes and then refining it into 6,000 tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate. As of January 10, 2026, the extraction line has been operating stably for 470 days, with a lithium recovery rate of over 98%. A total of 9,000 tons of high-quality battery-grade lithium carbonate products have been rolled off the production line, generating a new value of nearly 600 million yuan. The successful implementation of this project has effectively connected the "last mile" of the efficient utilization of salt lake lithium resources, significantly enhancing the overall efficiency of the comprehensive utilization of salt lake resources in China, and providing a replicable technical solution for the high-value recycling of global salt lake lithium resources. 

The core technology of the resource recycling and comprehensive utilization project adopts the desalination and halogen adsorption lithium extraction process independently developed by CITIC Anqing Qinghai Technology, which is supported by multiple patents and has achieved systematic optimization and innovation throughout the entire process. 

He Wanghai, the Party Secretary and General Manager of CITIC Anqing Qinghai Technology, said to the reporter: "We have adopted a green and efficient lithium extraction and separation technology route. This has changed the traditional lithium extraction process in salt lakes, which was highly dependent on energy sources such as electricity, steam, and fresh water. It has the advantages of small investment, low cost, short construction period, efficient process flow, high lithium recovery rate, and environmental friendliness. The project's emission indicators are more than twice as good as the national environmental protection standards, effectively promoting the efficient, green, and sustainable comprehensive development of salt lake mining resources." 

One of the profound changes brought about by the key technologies for lithium extraction and separation from salt lakes in Qinghai is that the lithium-containing qualified liquid produced by the extraction method has a high grade and purity. There is no need for subsequent artificial evaporation and concentration, and it can be directly used for the production of high-quality lithium carbonate, significantly reducing energy consumption. He Wanghai said: "Adopting the extraction technology route to achieve efficient utilization of lithium and being environmentally friendly, we are pioneers and practitioners. In the future, we will continue to advance in the field of salt lake lithium extraction, improve the utilization rate of lithium resources, and reduce production costs." 

Responding to the global surge in lithium mine production 

From battery power sources to energy storage stations, from electric vehicles to consumer electronics, lithium is an indispensable basic material. As the world's largest producer of battery power sources and the largest market for electric vehicles, China's demand for lithium resources in the upstream sector continues to rise. 

China is a major lithium resource country in the world, with multiple resource advantages such as "salt lake system, hard rock system, and mica system". In the past, it was not easy to extract lithium from the salt lakes in Qinghai economically and efficiently. This is why China leads globally in battery manufacturing, but also the reason why lithium resources have been partially dependent on imports for a long time. 

The Qaidam Basin in Qinghai Province has 33 salt lakes. Public information indicates that as of December 2023, 21 of them are in production. As the Qaidam salt lake mining area is an extremely arid region, either there is a shortage of fresh water or the water usage is strictly restricted. One common problem faced by the salt lake production enterprises in Qinghai is the "water-based production" issue. For every 1 ton of lithium carbonate extracted, more than 260 to 300 tons of fresh water are consumed. The salt lake lithium carbonate production enterprises in Qinghai adopt technical routes suitable for their respective situations based on the different brine characteristics of the mining area. The lithium extraction process from salt lakes includes the adsorption membrane method and the extraction method. Different technical routes are adopted for different lithium-rich brines and raw brines. 

Energy conservation not only requires calculating economic benefits, but also ecological costs. Regarding this, Li Lijuan admitted that the greatest achievement of this key technological breakthrough is the simultaneous reduction of freshwater consumption and electricity usage, and the more environmentally friendly process. Firstly, by independently designing and synthesizing a new type of lithium-specific extraction agent, the extraction agent has reached higher standards such as a higher flash point, lower volatility, and lower water solubility, promoting a more environmentally friendly and safe production process. Secondly, it takes about 15 tons of freshwater to extract 1 ton of lithium carbonate from the salt lake, resulting in a simultaneous decrease in water consumption and electricity usage. 

The basic raw material for batteries, lithium carbonate, accounts for approximately 30% of the battery cost. This technological breakthrough has significantly reduced the production cost of extracting lithium carbonate from salt lakes, affecting multiple industries such as batteries, energy storage, and new energy applications. As the price of lithium carbonate has rebounded strongly from its trough in the first half of 2025, the global lithium mining industry is experiencing an unprecedented wave of expansion. This round of lithium mine expansion goes beyond the simple logic of price-driven factors and reflects a deeper strategic emphasis by various countries on the security of the energy industry's supply chain for new energy. Whether it is the rapid resumption of production by foreign mining enterprises or the vertical integration of Chinese enterprises, all demonstrate the core position of lithium resources in the global energy transition. 

Experts suggest that in the future market competition, it will not only be a contest of resource control, production capacity and costs, but also a comprehensive battle of efficiency and system capabilities. Under conditions where resource conditions are average, it is necessary to lead the green transformation of production methods through technological innovation, making full use of every resource and maximizing its utilization, in order to enhance the systemic competitiveness of the entire industry. 

(Source: Economic Daily)