Argentina and Bolivia sign agreement to produce lithium-ion cells and batteries

On Thursday, July 28, Argentina and Bolivia signed a scientific and technological cooperation agreement to produce lithium-ion cells and batteries, informed Argentina’s Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation.

The agreement was established between Argentina’s Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Tecnología (Y-TEC) and the Empresa Pública Nacional Estratégica de Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos (YLB), within the framework of a memorandum of understanding on scientific-technological research in the area of evaporite resources and lithium signed last April.

Argentina’s Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Daniel Filmus, expressed that the signing of the agreement consolidates the scientific-technological cooperation between Argentina and Bolivia and is in line with the memorandum signed in April.

“Lithium is a strategic natural resource, and this agreement will allow us to add synergy for research, exchange of knowledge, training of professionals, exploitation, and production with added value,” he said.

Filmus stressed the need to “stop being a country that only exports primary resources and starts adding value to them, industrialize them and position ourselves in the world in a scenario that is moving towards this mineral. We must change the productive matrix and boost our exports”.

For his part, the Bolivian Minister of Hydrocarbons and Energy, Molina Ortiz, praised the joint work between both institutions and emphasized that the agreement “deepens the bonds of brotherhood, while enabling the exchange of technology and experiences between both countries, based on the processes of industrialization and development in science and technology”.

The understanding includes the production of cathode materials (LiFePO4 and LiNixMnyCozO2) from locally produced lithium salts and the development of a lithium-ion cells and batteries production plant with a capacity of at least 10 MWh/year.

It also includes the innovation of cells and batteries, the design of prototypes for photovoltaic systems, electric vehicle packs, and the promotion of technology-based companies participating in the lithium-ion cell and battery production project.

With information from Xinhua

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