Bolivia’s Minister of Hydrocarbons and Energy, Franklin Molina, announced on Thursday that signing two agreements with a Chinese and a Russian company will pave the way for producing 100,000 tons of lithium carbonate by 2025.
This ambitious projection aims to utilize the country’s salt flats in Uyuni, Coipasa, and Pastos Grandes.
The first step towards industrializing Bolivian lithium was taken in 2021 with the implementation of Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology, significantly improving resource efficiency and reducing extraction time.
Minister Molina emphasized that the recent signing of these agreements marks the second crucial step in Bolivia’s lithium industrialization policy.
The Bolivian government signed agreements with China’s Citic Guoan and Russia’s Uranium One Group for the industrialization of lithium.
Citic Guoan is a leader in EDL technology, battery manufacturing, and electric cars, while Uranium One Group brings 70 years of experience in lithium processing and battery manufacturing.
The agreements entail a total investment of US$1.4 billion and the construction of two EDL plants—one in Pastos Grandes and another in the Uyuni northern region.
These plants will contribute to the accelerated industrialization of Bolivian lithium.
The selection process for the companies involved was conducted through an international call for tenders by the Bolivian government.
Previously, the Bolivian Lithium Deposits (YLB) had signed an agreement with the Chinese consortium Catl Brunp & Cmoc (CBC) to install industrial complexes in the Uyuni and Coipasa salt flats.
With the addition of Citic Guoan and Uranium One Group, the project will operate in the Uyuni and Pastos Grandes salt flats, bolstering Bolivia’s lithium industrialization efforts.
Bolivia is home to 21 million certified lithium reserves in the Uyuni salt flat, with expectations of doubling these reserves through the inclusion of the Pastos Grandes and Coipasa salt flats.