Spotlight: 3 miners planning to start lithium production in Chile by 2030

CleanTech Lithium, Wealth Minerals and Simbalik are seeking to begin lithium production in Chile within the next six years, utilizing direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies to achieve more agile and sustainable processes compared to evaporation ponds.

At an event hosted by mining think tank Cesco in Santiago, company representatives said DLE helps optimize recovery from brines and shorten production times to days or hours from the 12 to 18 months other methods require. Unlike conventional evaporation methods, they also reduce water loss and limit aquifer depletion.

Using DLE technologies is a requirement under Chile's national lithium strategy.

CLEANTECH LITHIUM

The Anglo-Australian firm owns the Llamara, Arenas Blancas, Laguna Verde and Viento Andino (formerly Laguna Negro Francisco) projects, with the latter two being the most advanced.

The DLE technology planned to be used at Laguna Verde and Viendo Andino in Atacama region has been proven for over 20 years at Livent (Fenix) in Argentina.

CleanTech is currently conducting tests at its pilot plant in Copiapó city, which has capacity to produce 1t per month of concentrated fluid. The material will be sent to a facility in the US that will convert it into lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) and ship it to potential buyers during an experimental period, CEO Steve Kesler told the event.

Laguna Verde

With capex of US$383mn, the project is planned to produce 20,000t/y LCE over 30 years. Estimated resources are 1.8Mt LCE in an area of 217km2, with average lithium content of 200mg/l.

The prefeasibility study, to which engineering and construction company Worley and technology firm Lanshen contributed, will be presented at the end of the year, Kesler said.

The environmental impact study, meanwhile, will be submitted to review agency SEA in early 2025, as construction could start in 2026 and production in 2027, he added.

Viento Andino

The project is planned to produce 20,000t/y LCE for 12 years and involves capex of US$450mn. The 127km2 area in the Negro Francisco salt lagoon, 100km from Laguna Verde, has average lithium content of 207mg/l.

WEALTH MINERALS

The Canadian company owns the Kuska and the Yapuckuta projects in Antofagasta region.

Kuska

Capex is put at US$749mn and production capacity at 20,000t/y LCE for 20 years. Drilling at the 10,500ha site in the Salar de Ollagüe was carried out by previous owner Lithium Chile, which found lithium grades of up to 480mg/l with surface sampling indicating up to 1,140mg/l, Wealth Minerals CEO Francisco Lepeley said.

After-tax NPV, discounted at 10%, is US$1.15bn, with IRR of 28%, according to the preliminary economic study to which engineering firm DRA Global and natural resources consultancy Montgomery & Associates, among others, contributed

Wealth Minerals has a partnership with Thyssenkrupp Mining Technologies, FLSmidth and DRA to develop DLE technologies and advance Kuska.

DLE technologies from four suppliers are currently being tested, with the aim of starting production of around 5,000t/y LCE by 2027, then ramping up to full capacity by the end of 2029, Lepeley said.

Yapuckuta

The 46,200ha area in the northern part of the Salar de Atacama basin, the best saline deposit in the world in terms of lithium brine quality, has an average grade of 1,840mg/l.

SIMBALIK

The Singapore-based investment fund with Taiwanese partners is leading the US$546mn Salar de Maricunga project in Atacama region.

Production potential is 20,000t/y LCE, although the final product will be 99.5% grade lithium hydroxide. The project has mining permits and a license from the nuclear energy commission that allow it to produce and sell up to 54,300t/y of lithium for 15 years, José Joaquín Matte, commercial director of Simco, a Simbalik-Errázuriz JV, said.

DLE tests have shown a recovery of 95-98% of lithium in brines with an operational cycle of eight hours.

The result offers battery-grade lithium hydroxide that meets Panasonic's specifications, Matte said, adding that the first ton of commercial lithium is expected in 2027.