Urumqi, Xinhua News Agency, Jul. 2—Lop Nur Lake used to be the second largest salt lake of China. However, since 1970s, it had become a famous “life-forbidden zone”. Today, with the development of potash resources in the area, rippling blue wave re-appeare in the lake with potash output ranking No. 1 in the world.

Yin Xianbin, Vice President of SDIC Xingjiang Luobupo Potash Co Ltd. told the reporters that although Lop Nur is known as “life-forbidden zone”, there are rich reserves in the lake. As the world’s largest dry salt lake, it has an area of 10,350 square kilometers with 7 layers of underground potash mine and the deepest layer being 140 meters.

Yin Xinbin said that China is in need of potash but the consumption of potash is huge. 70% of the country’s total consumption relies on import. With the development of agriculture, the country’s total demand for potash reached 15 million tons last year. In order to resolve the short supply situation, SDIC Xinjiang Luobopo Potash Co. Ltd. started to develop potash in the area since 2000. Right now it has in possession 12.2 billion tons of potash reserves. The main business is pumping natural underground brine to produce SOP.

It is introduced that the company has built the world’s largest SOP production facility in Lop Nur, with annual production at 1.3 million tons. Another 1.7 million tons of capacity is under construction. It is estimated that by 2015, the total capacity of the company will reach 3 million tons and the company can employ 5000 people.