Argentina and Bolivia move forward with projects to develop the lithium value chain

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The governments of Argentina and Bolivia agreed on Thursday to advance in cooperation projects to develop the lithium value chain, a mineral of growing global demand for electromobility and energy transition, for which a first technical meeting was scheduled to be held in May.

The understanding -called Memorandum of Understanding of Cooperation in the Integration of Evaporite and Lithium Resources- was signed this Thursday afternoon by the Minister of Science and Technology, Daniel Filmus, and his Bolivian counterpart of Hydrocarbons, Juan Franklyn Molina Ortiz, in the framework of a ceremony held at the Government House headed by Presidents Alberto Fernández and Luis Arce.

Previously, Fernández and Arce released a joint statement in which they highlighted “the importance of carrying out cooperation projects for the development of the lithium value chain, through the exchange of scientific and technological knowledge, the training and improvement of human resources and the promotion of sustainable extraction technologies”.

To this end, they agreed to hold a technical meeting in Argentina between Y-Tec and Yacimientos de Litio Boliviano next May, with the participation of the agencies of both countries with competence in the matter.

The extensive salt flats of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile make up the so-called “lithium triangle”, which contains the world’s largest reserves of this mineral, so the interest of the governments is to generate greater added value to this natural resource and not only to be exporters of raw material of low industrialization.

Filmus expressed -after signing the memorandum- that both countries continue “betting on the scientific and technological development of this strategic natural resource for Argentina and Bolivia by adding synergy for research, exchange of knowledge to optimize its research, exploitation and industrialization process”.

“It is essential to stop being a country that only exports primary resources and start adding value to them, industrialize them and position ourselves in the world in a scenario that is moving towards this mineral”, emphasized the minister, highlighting the effort of the region to “advance in cooperation to change the productive matrix and give more added value to our exports”.

The president of YPF Tecnología (Y-Tec), Roberto Salvarezza, explained to Télam that the agreement seeks to coordinate efforts to work not only on the exploration and exploitation of the resource in the mining activity but also to be able to add value through the exchange and transfer of scientific and technological knowledge in accordance with the areas of common interest.

“We are talking about strengthening human resources, information exchange, linking joint projects, looking at new materials because technologies evolve very fast, in a framework of cooperation with a country with which we share the two largest lithium reserves in the world,” explained the executive of the research and development company.

The premise is to leverage scientific and technological resources to provide greater development and technological independence and to participate in designing technical, socioeconomic programs and projects, scientific, educational, and research processes in this area.

Since 2020, when Salvarezza was Minister of Science and Technology, they have been working with the Bolivian Ministry of Energy “on the agenda to strengthen the science and technology system dedicated to research and development in the lithium chain,” explained the head of Y-Tec, pointing out that the signing of this Thursday’s understanding is heading in that direction.

Both countries are carrying out pilot plans to advance in the local integration of components that will allow the manufacture of lithium cells and batteries, a development-oriented in principle to the storage of energy generated from renewable sources such as solar and wind, or micro-mobility among other benefits, without ruling out the challenge of electric vehicles.

“In developing these batteries, it is necessary to think of the greatest amount of national raw materials for their integration into a higher value product, which is achieved by strengthening all research resources,” Salvarezza stressed.

In Argentina, Y-Tec has been working since last year with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the National University of La Plata (UNLP) in the disbursement of more than US$500 million for the adaptation of buildings, provision of services, and purchase of equipment for the future lithium cells and batteries manufacturing plant.

The objective is to disaggregate the technological package and generate the knowledge that will allow the development of the whole industrial process within the framework of the project called “Development of new technologies for lithium extraction, synthesis of lithium compounds with higher added value and construction of lithium cells and batteries scaling plant”.

With information from Télam