Chile moves ahead with public-private lithium model via Codelco
Chilean state-owned copper companies Codelco and Enami are holding talks with private-sector firms to develop lithium deposits in a country that holds the world’s biggest reserves of the battery metal.
Top copper supplier Codelco and Enami, which provides services to small- and mid-sized producers, will represent the state in new lithium projects given it will take “some years” to set up a separate national lithium company, Mining Minister Marcela Hernando said in an interview.
The administration of left-leaning President Gabriel Boric expects to deliver this week its long-awaited lithium development strategy, in which companies will partner with the state in new projects. It also plans to present a bill to Congress this week to establish the state lithium company. But until that happens, the new joint-venture model will begin via Codelco and Enami.
“Each company has had conversations and some confidentially agreements have been signed,” Hernando said on Monday from the sidelines of an industry conference in Santiago.
Negotiations are separate to Codelco’s lithium exploration at the Maricunga salt flat, she said, adding that some of the prospective projects have already been the subject of exploration.
Chile is trying to attract private capital to the industry, at the same time as maximizing tax revenue, defending the environment and expanding downstream operations. Output is currently restricted to two companies — SQM and Albemarle — from a single, though giant, salt flat. The nation is losing market share just as demand for the key ingredient in electric-vehicle batteries accelerates.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Showroom
Rio Carb is an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) of R-C700 Chromium Carbide (CrC) alloy clad wear plates and pipes used for heavy materials...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Industrial Nozzles & Systems (Pty) Ltd (Est. 2000) exclusive representative in Southern Africa for LECHLER GmbH (Est. 1879) - Europe's leading...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
