26.11.2024: Bolivia’s government signed a $1 billion (aprox. 947 million Euros) contract with China’s CBC Investments to build two lithium carbonate plants, as the Andean country looks to tap the world’s largest lithium reserves, according to ”spglobal.com” .
The two plants, with a combined capacity of 35,000 mt/year, will be built at the Salar de Uyuni salt flats in the southern highland Potosí department by CBC, a subsidiary of battery manufacturer CATL.
The plants, with Bolivian state lithium company YLB as a 51% partner, will operate with 80% recovery rates using direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology, Gallardo said at a broadcast ceremony at the Presidential Palace in La Paz.
The contract comes after Russia’s Uranium One last year signed an agreement to invest up to $450 million in its own 14,000 mt/year lithium carbonate plant at Uyuni, while YLB also inaugurated its own 15,000 mt/year lithium carbonate plant in December 2023.
Bolivia has a total of 23 million mt in lithium reserves at its Uyuni, Coipasa and Pastos Grandes salt flats, according to the Energy Ministry.
Read the full art. on ”spglobal.com” (en).
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Salar De Uyuni is the largest salt desert in the world, a white spot easily distinguishable in space flights, the largest world reserve of lithium, exotic diversity of flora and fauna in one of the highest places on the planet. The Salar de Uyuni is located in the Bolivian highlands, towards the southwest of the country, in the department of Potosi, at an altitude of 3653 meters above sea level (masl). In general, the Salar de Uyuni is very flat, with a surface elevation variation of less than 1 meter.
The Salar de Uyuni is approximately 10583 km2 in size.
Related art.
– 27.11.2024: Investiție de cel puțin un miliard de dolari pentru extragerea litiului în Bolivia – ”economica.net”(ro)
