Salt Lake Lithium: "White Gold" Cost King, Reshaping the Global Lithium Cost Curve

SnapshotLaborer · 2026-03-26T03:37:05+00:00

Lithium resources are divided into two types: salt lake brine and hard rock. Salt lake lithium accounts for 65% globally. Although the supply release of salt lake lithium is slower, it is currently experiencing high-quality expansion. Growing demand is prompting market reassessment of its strategic value, necessitating a deeper understanding of its supply structure and cost curve.

SnapshotLaborer

2026-03-26 03:37:05

Abstract generation in progress

Lithium resources are mainly divided into two categories: salt lake brine and hard rock (spodumene, lepidolite). According to the U.S. Geological Survey 2025 data, brine accounts for up to 65% of global lithium resources. For a long time, due to long development cycles and high technical barriers, the supply of lithium from salt lakes has been slower than that from mineral sources. However, this situation is undergoing a fundamental reversal.

Global salt lake supply is experiencing a high-quality expansion. At the same time, the rigid growth in demand for energy storage and power batteries is shifting market focus back to the “far left” of the cost curve—the strategic value of salt lake lithium urgently needs reassessment. How should we understand the supply structure, cost curve, and demand evolution of salt lake lithium?

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