(TibetanReview.net, Jan06’25) –China said Jan 6 that it had discovered more than 20 million tons of new copper resource on the Tibetan Plateau since 2021, with Tibet being poised to become a world-class copper resource hub.
Since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), more than 20 million tons of new copper resources have been added, with their projected stockpiles estimated to reach 150 million tons, reported China’s official globaltimes.cn Jan 6, citing a press release from the China Geological Survey.
The report said four major copper resource bases – Yulong, Duolong, Julong-Jiama, and Xiongcun-Zhunuo – had emerged on the Tibetan Plateau.
Yulong in Chamdo (Chinese: Changdu) City already held the second largest reserve of copper throughout the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
The Duolong copper deposit is located at Woma (Uma) Town in Gertse (Gaize) county in Ngari (Ali) Prefecture.
The Julong-Jiama is located in Maldrogungkar (Mozhugongka) County of Lhasa City.
And the Xiongcun-Zhunuo copper mines are located in the Ngamring (Angren) County area of Shigatse City.
The report cited the China Geological Survey as saying with these and numerous other deposits as well, Tibet Autonomous Region (which China calls Xizang) is poised to develop into a world-class copper resource hub, changing the landscape of copper mine exploration and development in the PRC.
The Tibetan Plateau already had 53 million tonnes of proven copper reserves as of 2021, which accounted for more than half of the PRC’s total copper reserves, noted the scmp.com Jan 6.
The only significant deposit from China proper mentioned by the report was the Duobaoshan Copper Mine in northeastern Heilongjiang province, which was stated to have added 3.65 million tons of copper resources during the period.
Tang Juxing, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has highlighted the significance of copper as a critical metal, particularly in green energy development and applications. For instance, solar energy, onshore wind energy, offshore wind energy, and new-energy vehicles all depend heavily on copper, Tang has said.
He has said the exploration is crucial for building key resource bases in China and securing the stability of the copper industrial and supply chains.
According to statistics, the global reserves of copper mineral resources are about 70 million tons (metal tons), mainly distributed in Chile, Peru, Australia, Mexico and other countries. The PRC’s copper reserves are pitiful, but China’s copper consumption ranks first in the world! said a seetaoe.com report Feb 21, 2021.
Known as the PRC’s most important “strategic resource reserve base”, the Tibetan Plateau is rich in vital minerals such as copper, chromium, cobalt, lead and zinc, accounting for 30-90% of the nation’s reserves in these categories, noted the scmp.com report, citing the website of the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research.