Beijing, Oct 6 (IANS): A large nickel ore deposit containing 1.28 million tonnes has been discovered in China, Xinhua reported Saturday.
The reserve was found in Ruoqiang county of Xinjiang Uygur region.
The dicovery will help mitigate nickel shortage in the country, an official of the mineral exploration bureau said Friday.
About 220,000 tonnes of copper and 60,000 tonnes of cobalt reserves were also found at the site. The government had identified the area for a mineral exploration project.
Nickel is a silvery-white metal used in the aerospace, defence and other industries. China is estimated to have nine million tonnes of nickel, the world's ninth largest.