and every other global car maker. It is also sought by governments from Berlin to Beijing, that need it to power the shift to renewable energy.
The sources said the lithium strategy was being led by executives including Jaime San Martin, manager of new business development, known by some within Codelco as "lithium man". Finance VP Alejandro Rivera is also closely involved.Codelco Chairman Maximo Pacheco told Reuters that while the firm had set up two lithium subsidiaries Salares de Chile and Minera Tarar, it would first see how talks went before making any recruitment drives.
Codelco has already started talks with SQM, whose existing lithium contract expires in 2030. Albemarle has said it is waiting to begin negotiations until closer to its contract's expiration date in 2043. Juan Carlos Guajardo, head of consultancy Plusmining, said building up Codelco's lithium expertise from almost zero would nonetheless take up resources.