CATL Plans 1.4B Yuan Lihium Salt Project in Ya’an With 40,000-Tonne Capacity

The filing matters less for its headline capacity than for its timing: CATL is locking in upstream conversion capacity while lithium carbonate prices are falling, a reminder that battery majors plan on multi-year horizons rather than spot moves. The project's mix — carbonate, lithium dihydrogen phosphate and thenardite — signals integration toward LFP cathode inputs rather than a pure carbonate bet. Whether that capacity proceeds on schedule, and how it lands against a soft price environment, is the open question for the sector.