CONTEMPORARY Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL), the world’s leading electric-vehicle battery manufacturer, has appointed Chen Jinghe, founder and former chairman of Zijin Mining Group, as an advisor to its mining division, said Bloomberg News citing people familiar with the matter.
Chen, 68, stepped down from Zijin late last year after more than three decades at the helm, during which he transformed a small Chinese gold operation into one of the world’s largest mining companies, with a market capitalisation exceeding $120bn.
His tenure was marked by aggressive exploration and acquisitions spanning gold, copper and lithium assets in China and overseas, including a stake in domestic lithium miner Zangge Mining Co. Ltd. and a major lithium deposit in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the newswire said.
A CATL spokesman confirmed the appointment but offered no further detail, said Bloomberg News. A Zijin representative declined to comment, it added.
Chen is expected to help CATL strengthen its grip on critical mineral supply chains. The battery giant has spent much of the past decade building a mining portfolio that includes equity in CMOC Group Ltd.’s Congo copper-cobalt operations, Indonesian nickel investments through its Brunp unit, and a lepidolite mine in Jiangxi province, currently mothballed.
Chen retains honorary chairman and senior consultant roles at Zijin. He was separately named chief advisor to Hong Kong-listed Wanguo Gold Group Ltd. in February.
