Bolivia set to tender exploration for 28 small salt flats, lagoons

Bolivian state-owned lithium company Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos (YLB) is working to prepare a tender for the exploration of 28 small salt flats and lagoons.

“These salt flats have tremendous potential for exploitation … and to achieve considerable production that will be visible worldwide,” YLB president Karla Calderón said at a press conference.

The salt flats are located in the west of the country, mainly in Oruro and Potosí departments.

The official added that work to start up a new lithium carbonate plant in Potosí department is now 80-85% complete.

Although the facility was initially meant to start operations in August, that proved to be unachievable due to a series of problems in the original design, which are now being corrected. These issues were identified in the electrical, mechanical and control automation areas.

The start-up of the plant was also not expressly established in the initial contract; however, the contractor has now agreed to include the start-up in the terms and the respective tests are currently being conducted.

Furthermore, the project was tendered without taking water treatment into account. Calderón stated that YLB has now agreed a contract to build a treatment plant and the construction works are expected to be completed at the same time as the plant tests, so that operations can begin this year.

The lithium carbonate industrial plant has a production capacity of 15,000t/y and its construction involves an investment of more than US$115mn.

Calderón added that there are also problems in the Potosí potassium chloride plant, opened in 2019, meaning it cannot achieve maximum projected production. When the evaporation pools were designed, production was initially intended for fertilizers and lithium output was not taken into account.

“Despite the difficulties at this time, the industrialization of lithium is advancing … and several things are being done at the same time,” Calderón said.

The official added that work is being done on a long-term strategic commercial plan for YLB, so that it can sustain itself for the next 30 years.