Tianqi Lithium

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Tianqi Lithium is a Chinese lithium mining and processing company with operations and investments spanning China, Australia, and Chile.

Last updated November 4, 2026

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First read: Nov 4, 2026
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Overview

Tianqi Lithium Corp, formerly known as Sichuan Tianqi Lithium Industries, is a Chinese mining and lithium-materials company headquartered in Sichuan. Its business covers the extraction of lithium-bearing ores and the conversion of lithium resources into chemical products used in batteries and other industrial applications. The company is part of the international lithium supply chain through assets and investments in Australia, Chile, and China. Tianqi’s international position was built substantially through its ownership of a controlling interest in Talison Lithium, the operator of the Greenbushes hard-rock lithium mine in Western Australia. Tianqi has held a 51% stake in Talison since 2009. Greenbushes is one of the world’s most significant spodumene deposits and is recognized for both its scale and the relatively high grade of its ore. Spodumene concentrate from the mine provides an important feedstock for the production of lithium chemicals. The company expanded beyond mining through downstream processing. In 2018, Tianqi announced a planned investment of approximately US$600 million in a lithium-processing plant at Kwinana, Western Australia. The project was intended to produce lithium hydroxide closer to major battery and electric-vehicle manufacturing markets, strengthening the company’s integration from raw material extraction to refined chemical products. The Kwinana facility later became the subject of a payment dispute between Tianqi and engineering contractor MSP Engineering. Tianqi also became a major shareholder in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile, commonly known as SQM. In 2018, it agreed to acquire approximately 24% of SQM for about US$4.1 billion by purchasing 62.5 million SQM A shares from Nutrien at US$65 per share. The transaction increased Tianqi’s exposure to brine-based lithium production in Chile’s Salar de Atacama and made the company an influential participant in the global lithium sector. The investment also attracted regulatory and competitive scrutiny because SQM was a major lithium producer and Tianqi was already connected to substantial hard-rock supply through Talison. By 2018, Wikipedia reported that Tianqi controlled more than 46% of global lithium production. That figure reflects the company’s position across mining interests and processing relationships rather than a single operating mine. Its strategic importance has therefore derived from vertical integration, ownership stakes, and access to multiple resource types, including Australian spodumene and Chilean brine. Tianqi’s activities also illustrate the environmental and legal pressures associated with lithium production. The company reported 259 kilotonnes of total direct and indirect carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions for the year ended 31 December 2020. In Western Australia, MSP Engineering pursued Tianqi over alleged unpaid amounts connected with construction of the Kwinana lithium hydroxide plant. A Western Australian Supreme Court order required payment of almost A$39 million within seven days, while Tianqi sought a stay of the judgment and disputed the payment position. The matter was described in the supplied reference material as ongoing. The company’s profile is consequently that of a resource producer and lithium-chemicals manufacturer rather than a consumer-facing brand. Its competitive proposition centers on access to strategic mineral resources, control or influence over upstream assets, and the ability to process lithium into battery-grade products. Its future importance depends on lithium demand, electric-vehicle and energy-storage growth, project execution, regulatory approvals, commodity prices, and the company’s ability to manage environmental, financial, and legal risks across several jurisdictions.

History

Tianqi Lithium developed from a Chinese lithium-resource and materials business into a multinational company with interests across the principal geographic centers of hard-rock and brine lithium production. Its earlier corporate name was Sichuan Tianqi Lithium Industries. The company is based in Sichuan, China, where it has maintained its corporate and manufacturing presence. A decisive stage in its international expansion came in 2009, when Tianqi acquired a 51% ownership interest in Talison Lithium. Talison operates the Greenbushes pegmatite mine in Western Australia, one of the world’s most important sources of spodumene. The deposit has been noted for its large scale and high ore grade; a 2012 figure cited in the reference material placed the grade at approximately 2.4% Li2O. Through Talison, Tianqi gained direct exposure to a major upstream source of lithium feedstock. Tianqi’s position strengthened as lithium demand grew with the expansion of rechargeable batteries, electric vehicles, and stationary energy storage. By 2018, the company was reported to control more than 46% of worldwide lithium production. This influence reflected its combination of ownership in mining assets and participation in processing rather than a single production site. In 2018, Tianqi announced a planned US$600 million investment in a lithium-processing plant at Kwinana, Western Australia. The project represented a move toward greater downstream integration, especially the production of lithium hydroxide used in battery supply chains. The project subsequently became involved in a commercial and legal dispute with MSP Engineering concerning construction payments. MSP alleged that more than A$39 million remained unpaid. A Western Australian Supreme Court order directed Tianqi to pay almost A$39 million within seven days; Tianqi sought a stay of the judgment, and the supplied material described the proceedings as unresolved. The same year, Tianqi expanded its exposure to South American lithium by agreeing to buy approximately 24% of Chilean mining company SQM. The transaction involved the purchase of 62.5 million SQM A shares from Nutrien at US$65 per share, for a reported total of approximately US$4.1 billion. SQM operates lithium resources in Chile’s Salar de Atacama, giving Tianqi an indirect interest in one of the world’s most prominent brine-lithium operations. The investment made Tianqi a significant participant in both the Australian hard-rock and Chilean brine segments. The SQM investment later became connected to a dispute over proposed changes to the structure of the Salar de Atacama lithium business. According to the supplied material, Tianqi legally objected to the dismembering of SQM’s lithium operation into the Nova Andino Litio public-private joint venture involving SQM and Chilean state-owned Codelco. The same material states that Chile’s Supreme Court rejected the objection in late January 2026. Because this date is beyond the core historical period covered by the cited Wikipedia extract, the legal status and subsequent developments should be verified against current primary sources. Tianqi’s environmental profile has also become relevant as the company has expanded. It reported total direct and indirect emissions of 259 kilotonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent for 2020. The figure highlights the energy and industrial footprint associated with mining, mineral concentration, and chemical conversion. Overall, Tianqi’s history is characterized by international resource acquisition, vertical integration, participation in strategic lithium markets, and continuing exposure to regulatory, environmental, commercial, and geopolitical risks.

2020
Carbon emissions disclosed
[1]Tianqi Lithiumen.wikipedia.org
The company reported 259 kilotonnes of total direct and indirect CO2-equivalent emissions for the year ended 31 December 2020.
2018
Kwinana processing investment announced
[1]Tianqi Lithiumen.wikipedia.org
Tianqi announced an intended investment of approximately US$600 million in a lithium-processing plant at Kwinana, Western Australia.
2018
SQM stake acquired
[1]Tianqi Lithiumen.wikipedia.org
Tianqi agreed to buy 62.5 million SQM A shares from Nutrien for about US$4.1 billion, giving it an approximately 24% stake in SQM.
2009
Tianqi takes a controlling interest in Talison Lithium
[1]Tianqi Lithiumen.wikipedia.org
Tianqi acquired a 51% stake in Talison Lithium, which operates the Greenbushes spodumene mine in Western Australia.

Products and positioning

An internationally integrated lithium resource and materials company focused on upstream mineral assets, strategic equity investments, and downstream lithium-chemical processing for battery and industrial markets.

Lithium ore and concentrate
Spodumene concentrate
Spodumene concentrate is a hard-rock lithium feedstock produced from pegmatite ore. Tianqi’s 51% interest in Talison links the company to supply from Greenbushes in Western Australia, a major deposit known for its scale and comparatively high-grade ore. The concentrate is used as an input for further chemical conversion into lithium compounds.
Lithium chemicals
Lithium carbonate
Lithium carbonate is a refined lithium compound used in battery materials and a range of industrial applications. Tianqi is described as both a mining and manufacturing company, with lithium-chemical production forming the downstream part of its resource-to-materials business.
Battery materials · 2018
Lithium hydroxide
Lithium hydroxide is a battery-oriented lithium chemical used in cathode-material supply chains, particularly for certain high-nickel chemistries. Tianqi’s planned Kwinana facility in Western Australia was intended to expand regional lithium hydroxide processing and move the company closer to downstream battery markets.
Mining and resource interests
Lithium resource investments
Beyond its own chemical products, Tianqi’s portfolio includes strategic ownership interests in lithium-producing businesses. Its Talison stake provides exposure to Australian spodumene, while its SQM investment provides exposure to Chilean brine-based lithium production in the Salar de Atacama.

Controversies

2020
High-leverage acquisition of SQM stake triggers debt crisis
In 2018, Tianqi Lithium acquired about 23.77% of Chile's SQM for USD 4.066 billion, of which about USD 3.5 billion relied on acquisition syndicated loans. Lithium prices subsequently fell, combined with high interest, and the company lost RMB 5.983 billion in 2019 and RMB 1.834 billion in 2020, and announced that about USD 1.884 billion in loans might not be repaid on time. In November 2020, the company disclosed that RMB 12.4 billion in loans maturing at the end of the month might be in default. Later, SQM's cooperation arrangement with the Chilean National Copper Corporation (Codelco) was upheld by Chile's Supreme Court; Tianqi's lawsuit failed, and the investment value faced impairment risk. It resolved the crisis by introducing strategic investment from Australia's IGO and other means; founder Jiang Weiping stepped down in 2023 and his daughter succeeded him.
Source

2018
Invest in downstream lithium processing at KwinanaStrategy
Background
Tianqi aimed to increase vertical integration and produce lithium chemicals closer to battery and electric-vehicle markets.
Action taken
It announced a planned investment of approximately US$600 million in a lithium-processing plant at Kwinana, Western Australia.
Aftermath
The project became associated with a later construction-payment dispute with MSP Engineering.
Planned investment. US$600 million (2018 announcement)
Source
2018
Acquire an approximately 24% stake in SQMM&A
Background
Tianqi sought exposure to Chilean brine lithium and diversification beyond its Australian hard-rock interests.
Action taken
It agreed to purchase 62.5 million SQM A shares from Nutrien at US$65 per share.
Aftermath
The transaction gave Tianqi a major shareholder position in SQM and increased its influence in the global lithium supply chain.
Transaction value. Approximately US$4.1 billion (2018 transaction)
Source
2009
Acquire a controlling stake in Talison LithiumM&A
Background
Tianqi sought greater control over a major hard-rock lithium resource and access to Greenbushes spodumene production in Western Australia.
Action taken
The company acquired a 51% ownership stake in Talison Lithium.
Aftermath
The transaction gave Tianqi a controlling interest in one of the world’s most important spodumene operations and became a foundation of its international supply position.
Source
Contest payment claims relating to Kwinana constructionOther
Background
MSP Engineering alleged that Tianqi had not paid scheduled amounts totaling more than A$39 million for work on the Kwinana lithium hydroxide plant.
Action taken
After a Western Australian Supreme Court order required payment of almost A$39 million within seven days, Tianqi sought a stay of the judgment and disputed the payment position.
Aftermath
The supplied reference material describes the matter as remaining before the courts.
Court-ordered payment. Almost A$39 million
Source

Recent events

2020.08.31
Reported2020.08.31
Tianqi Lithium released 2020 half-year results[8]天齐锂业发布2020年半年度报告finance.sina.com.cn
Tianqi Lithium released its 2020 half-year report, reporting revenue of RMB 1.879 billion, down 27.44% year over year, and a net loss attributable to shareholders of RMB 697 million.
2020.08.13
Reported2020.08.13
Wu Wei applies to resign as Tianqi Lithium president and director[9]吴薇申请辞去天齐锂业董事、总裁职务finance.sina.com.cn
Tianqi Lithium announced that Wu Wei applied to resign as a director and president for personal reasons.
2020.03.02
Reported2020.03.02
Tianqi Lithium reports 2019 results and expected impairment[10]天齐锂业披露2019年业绩及预计资产减值tech.sina.com.cn
Tianqi Lithium's performance report showed 2019 revenue of RMB 4.836 billion and a net loss of RMB 2.824 billion. The company said it expected to accrue about RMB 2.293 billion in asset impairment provisions following impairment testing.

Sources11 sources

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