China Finds 1.5 Million Metric Tons Of Rare Earth Mineral Deposits In Yunnan

China has discovered a massive rare earth deposit in Honghe, Yunnan province, potentially yielding over 1.15 million metric tons of resources.

Preliminary estimates suggest the Yunnan site contains over 470,000 tons of these critical minerals.

This discovery significantly bolsters the country’s domestic industry, Christopher McFadden reported for Interesting Engineering.

The China Geological Survey (CGS) confirmed the deposit could be a major source of praseodymium, neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium. Preliminary estimates suggest the site contains over 470,000 tons of these critical minerals.

This marks a significant breakthrough in resource exploration, as the deposit is classified as a super-large ion-adsorption type rare earth elements (RRE) site. The first such deposit in China was discovered in Jiangxi province in 1969.

Ion-adsorption rare earth ore involves minerals naturally concentrated and absorbed onto the surfaces of clay particles, making extraction relatively easy and environmentally friendly through ion exchange methods.

Once operational, the Yunnan deposit is expected to become China’s largest medium-to-heavy RRE mine, significantly enhancing the country’s rare earth resource base. This will support industries ranging from commercial electronics to electric vehicles.