Chile’s government on Tuesday opened up more than two dozen lithium salt flats to private investment, while reserving the prolific Atacama and Maricunga deposits for state majority control in lithium extraction.
The opening to fresh projects could more than double Chile’s production of lithium, a key material for electric vehicle batteries, in a decade, said Finance Minister Mario Marcel.Officials said they would open a tender process in 26 salt flats in April, set to conclude in July, although not all would necessarily attract interest, officials said.Only two companies currently extract lithium in Chile – Chile’s SQM and US-based Albemarle – both in the Atacama salt flat.
The government appointed state-run copper giant Codelco to negotiate joint ventures with each company. So far, the miner has inked a preliminary deal with SQM set to run through 2060. Officials on Tuesday said the government is also interested in participating in lithium projects outside Atacama and Maricunga, without a majority stake.
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