Sunday, August 9, 2026
CATL's Yichun lithium mine still shut a year after license lapse
CATL's Jianxiawo lithium mine in Yichun, Jiangxi remains idle as of early August 2026, with local officials confirming no ore processing or transport is underway even after the company secured a work-safety production permit in late June valid through February 2028. The site's mineral designation was reclassified from ceramic clay to lithium ore under China's revised Mineral Resources Law, forcing CATL to prepare a new environmental impact assessment, published for public consultation on July 27, before the mine - which accounts for roughly 3% of global lithium output - can resume production after a shutdown stretching back to its original license's expiry in August 2025.