Chile to present large lithium investment plan for 2025-2030 this month
SANTIAGO - Chile's government will present its long-delayed national lithium policy in April and hopes it will generate significant investment during the second half of the decade, Economy Minister Nicolas Grau said on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters at a roundtable in Santiago, Grau said the plan deals with "technological transitions we have to make, public institutes that have to be created, the national lithium mining company, what to do in the Atacama salt flats, there are lots of dimensions and that's why we've taken so long."
The proposed national lithium company, Grau said, is only one of the components of the plan and will require a qualified quorum bill, which could require longer deadlines.
"We believe there are very good reasons to have a national lithium company and we are going to try to convince the opposition," Grau said, adding that most of the plan's other aspects could still work without the new company.
The company, which was part of President Gabriel Boric's campaign promises, would need private capital, the minister said.
Aside from the company, the minister said concrete policy results might not be seen until the end of the current government's mandate in March 2026.
"If this policy works well, there should be a very ambitious investment process between 2025 and 2030, but these are not short-term things," Grau said.
One of the plan's aims is also to promote decentralization, Grau said, "so that other countries feel there's space for everyone," adding that it was a main concern they have had considering the metal's geopolitical importance.
Given current lithium fluctuations, the minister expects a break-even price of about $20,000 per ton, "but there is a lot of uncertainty".
Chile has one of the world's largest lithium reserves, but the metal is currently exploited only by Albemarle and SQM.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
As a reticulator, Egoli Gas provides natural gas to homes and businesses via underground pipes.
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
