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The agreements provide for the installation of industrial carbonate plants in the department of Potosí, which will receive royalties, and investments of around 2 billion dollars. The state-owned Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos (YLB) has announced the signing of contracts with the Uranium One Group, from Russia, and CBC, from China, for the installation of lithium carbonate industrial plants in the department of Potosí. This was confirmed by YLB CEO Omar Alarcón, who said that the agreements guarantee royalties and provide for their adjustment “when the Plurinational Legislative Assembly approves the Law on Lithium and Evaporite Resources,” according to a statement. The Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy (MHE) assures that both contracts establish that the companies will invest more than 2 billion dollars, covering 100% of the construction cost and assuming full financial risk. The industrial plants will be located south of the Salar de Uyuni and will use the Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) method, “which allows for the recovery of more than 80% of the available lithium, consumes less water and energy, and is much more efficient compared to the traditional method of evaporation by pools, whose performance does not exceed 30%,” according to the MHE. The contract between YLB and the Russian firm Uranium One Group provides for the implementation of an industrial plant for the production of 14,000 metric tons per year (mt/y) of lithium carbonate, in three phases, with an investment of more than 975 million dollars. Meanwhile, the contract with the Chinese consortium CBC provides for the implementation of two industrial plants, each in two phases, one with a capacity of 25,000 tm/y and the other of 10,000 tm/y, with an investment of 1.03 billion dollars. |
