Name of the Mine
Lakkor Tso salar.

Location  
Gerze County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China.

Mine Owner/s  
Zijin Mining Group holds a 63% interest in the project, Shengyuan Group (a Xizang State-owned enterprise) 27%, and a Ngari State-owned enterprise 10%.

Brief Description  
Lakkor Tso is one of the few large-scale, high-quality lithium brine deposits in China, ranking among the top five in the country and the top 20 globally in terms of resources. It contains large volumes of recoverable resources, with a low magnesium-to-lithium ratio of 3.32, indicating excellent resource quality. 

Brief History  
Lakkor Tso produced its first battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate during pilot-scale testing in November 2022. 

Primary Metals/Minerals  
Lithium.

Secondary Metals/Minerals  
Boron, potassium, rubidium, cesium, sodium and magnesium.

Geology/Mineralisation  
Lakkor Tso is a large sodium sulphate subtype brine lake hosted in a closed endorheic basin. The lithium mineralisation occurs in the lake brine and associated pore water, with potassium and boron among the other beneficial components identified in the salar. 

Reserves  
The mine has proven and probable reserves estimated at 2.09-million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent grading 1.47%.

Resources  
The mine has total mineral resources of 2.16-million tonnes grading 1.46% of lithium carbonate equivalent.

Type of Mine
Lithium brine salar operation.

Mining Method  
The mine uses brine extraction, adsorption and membrane coupling (titanium-based adsorbent) mining methods.

Major Infrastructure/Equipment  
Major infrastructure includes brine extraction wells and pumps, salt pans on the east bank of the salar, lithium salt production facilities and supporting renewable-energy infrastructure. 

Prospects  
Lakkor Tso is being developed in phases. Phase 1, with a capacity of 20 000 t/y of lithium carbonate equivalent, officially started production in March 2025. Phase 2 is being advanced to lift total planned capacity to 60 000 t/y. 

Contact Details 
Zijin Mining Group
Tel +86 0597 3833105
Email zjky@zjky.cn
Website https://www.zijinmining.com/