On December 25, Yunnan Yuntianhua Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Yuntianhua”), a publicly listed company, issued an announcement that its associated subsidiary, Yunnan Yuntianhua Polyphosphate New Materials Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Polyphosphate New Materials”), recently completed the registration procedures for the mining rights of the Wan Chang phosphate mine in Zhenxiong County, Yunnan Province,and on December 23 obtained the ‘Real Estate Ownership Certificate (Mining Rights)’ and the ‘Mining License’ issued by the Department of Natural Resources of Yunnan Province.As a pilot project for the Yangchang Phosphate Mine in Zhaotong, Yunnan—the largest single phosphate deposit in Asia—the acquisition of mining rights for the Wan Chang phosphate mine signifies that this major mineral exploration achievement has entered a new stage of development.
The Yangchang Phosphate Mine in Zhaotong is one of the major achievements of the new round of strategic actions for breakthroughs in mineral exploration. As of the end of 2024, the mine has cumulatively discovered and had approved inferred reserves of phosphate rock totaling 4.3 billion tons—large in scale, high in quality, and concentrated in resources, making it currently the largest single-body rich-phosphate deposit in Asia.(The China Mining News previously reported on the discovery process of this mine; see “Ministry of Natural Resources Key Mineral Exploration Project Focuses on No. 7 | The Story Behind the Discovery of the Yangchang Phosphate Mine, Asia’s Largest Single-Body Phosphate Deposit”）
In 2024, the Department of Natural Resources of Yunnan Province established a “Provincial Exploration Mining Right for the Wan Chang Phosphate Mine in Zhenxiong County, Yunnan Province” in the western section of the Yangchang Phosphate Mine and put it up for public auction. Jucui New Materials successfully obtained the exploration mining right for the Wan Chang Phosphate Mine at a price of 800 million CNY. Jucui New Materials was jointly established with investment from Yuntianhua, Yuntianhua Group Co., Ltd.—the controlling shareholder of Yuntianhua—along with Zhaotong Development Group Co., Ltd. and Zhenxiong Industrial Investment & Development Co., Ltd. The company’s registered capital is 2 billion CNY, of which Yuntianhua Group holds 55% and the publicly listed company Yuntianhua holds 35%.
According to available data, the Wan Chang Phosphate Mine is located within three blocks—Fengjiagou, Zhujiachang, and Qingba Village—in the Yangchang-Mangbu Phosphate Mining Area of Zhenxiong County. The mine’s resource reserves amount to 2.438 billion tons, with an average grade of 22.54%. The mining area covers 23.1564 square kilometers, and the mining license permits the extraction of phosphate and fluorine. The mining rights are valid from December 19, 2025, to December 18, 2040.As committed by Yuntianhua Group, within three years after Juhua New Materials obtains a legal and valid mining license for the Wan Chang Phosphate Mine, Juhua New Materials’ controlling interest will be prioritized for injection into a publicly listed company.
As a leading player in China's phosphate chemical industry, Yuntianhua currently holds nearly 800 million tons of phosphate ore reserves and operates phosphate ore mining and beneficiation facilities with an annual capacity of 14.5 million tons. Both its phosphate ore reserves and annual mining capacity rank among the top in the country. The approval of the mining rights for Wan Chang Phosphate Mine will inject strong new momentum into the company.
Cloud Sky Chemical stated that, after obtaining the mining rights certificate, Juchixin New Materials will leverage the region’s abundant resource endowments to develop a new materials industrial park centered on phosphorus-based products. By fully capitalizing on the company’s competitive advantages in phosphorus chemical resources, technology, and the upstream-downstream industrial chain, Juchixin New Materials will achieve high-value and efficient utilization of phosphorus resources, continuously drive scale expansion and structural adjustments, enhance the company’s core competitiveness, and have a positive impact on its long-term sustainable development.
It is understood that Zhaotong City has designated the Zhenxiong phosphate mine as a key pillar industry and is actively promoting the exploration and development of its resources.By 2030, the city aims to complete a green, low-carbon, circular economy industrial project centered on phosphate-based new materials, with an investment exceeding 50 billion CNY.Moreover, the city plans to launch a mining and beneficiation project with an annual capacity of 5 million tons by 2025,and by 2030, it will have established a complete industrial chain encompassing phosphoric acid, lithium iron phosphate, and phosphorus-based flame retardants, as well as new phosphorus- and fluorine-based materials and fine phosphate chemical products such as battery electrolytes, electronic chemicals, and water-soluble fertilizers, thereby driving the simultaneous development of mid-to-high-end phosphate products.Once the entire project is completed and put into operation, it will generate an annual output value of 60 billion CNY and tax revenues exceeding 8 billion CNY.
