Uncertainty Over CATL’s Jianxiawo Lithium Mine Restart Raises Price-Volatility Concerns

The restart schedule for the Jianxiawo lithium mine in Yichun, Jiangxi Province—operated by CATL, the world’s largest lithium-ion-battery producer—has become uncertain after the Yichun Ecology and Environment Bureau removed a public notice indicating acceptance of the project’s environmental impact assessment. The mine, the world’s largest single-deposit lepidolite source, accounts for roughly 4-5 % of global lithium supply when at full capacity. Operations were halted in August 2025 when the original mining permit expired, and the latest regulatory step casts doubt on a return to production.

South China Morning Post

The mine’s suspension followed the expiration of its mining permit. CATL obtained a safety-production permit on June 29, a scheduled regulatory milestone that cleared a critical hurdle and led market participants to anticipate a late-September restart. However, the recent removal of the environmental-impact notice has introduced a new delay, occurring amid broader license-conversion processes affecting several Chinese lithium mines.

South China Morning Post

• Jianxiawo contributes an estimated 4-5 % of global lithium supply at full output.

South China Morning Post

• The mine is the world’s largest lepidolite deposit, according to Yichun city officials.

South China Morning Post

The Yichun Ecology and Environment Bureau announced on its website that it had withdrawn the public notice signaling acceptance of the environmental impact assessment, effectively pausing the permit-approval process. CATL confirmed that mining operations were suspended in August 2025 after the original permit lapsed. Analysts note that the delay could influence lithium-carbonate prices in the fourth quarter, even though domestic prices have not yet shown significant movement.

South China Morning Post

• “A number of lithium mines are going through mining-license conversion procedures,” — Xiao Jiaying, an analyst with Shanghai-based Orient Futures

South China Morning Post