Argentina expected to become a top 3 global lithium player

A host of projects slated to start operations through 2027 could turn Argentina into a top three global lithium player, according to analysts.

Currently, the country holds fourth position.

“From the current 34,000t of lithium carbonate equivalent [annually], it could reach 260,000t by 2027,” Marcelo Bolton, senior mining consultant at CRU, told a lithium forum in Santiago, Chile.

Output could even reach 490,000t/y as the number of projects grows, but "based on our experience, we do not believe this is the case," Bolton told BNamericas on the sidelines of the event.

He added that miners are still grappling with Argentina's complex macroeconomic situation and the exchange rate.

To attract more players, conditions for foreign investment must improve and "a normalization of the exchange rate would help avoid problems with imports/exports of goods and services that are traded in [US dollars], reducing the risks that may affect the supply chain of the projects," he said.

CRU expects 18 projects to start production in the next four years. "Although it is not possible to estimate which ones will start in a timely manner, the most advanced ones with the greatest possibility of starting operations are Tres Quebradas, Centenario-Ratones and Sal de Oro," he added.

Even considering the most cautious forecasts, Argentina still has the highest number of lithium projects starting production in the next three years, beating China and Zimbabwe, Tony Ottaviano, CEO of Australian minerals firm Liontown, said at a recent mining event. Chile, which is the second global producer, did not appear on this list.

Projects in BNamericas' database yield lithium carbonate equivalent figures in line with CRU's.

Three projects are in production, and two of those are undergoing expansions expected to start production at the end of this year and next.

Project	Owner	Operator	Production (annually)	Investment (in millions US$)	Operations start	Province
Caucharí-Olaroz	Ganfeng Lithium, Lithium Americas, Jemse	Minera Exar	40,000t	741	Jun-23	Jujuy
Fenix Expansion	Livent	Minera del Altiplano	20,000t	450	Dec-23	Catamarca
Salar de Olaroz Expansion Phase 2	Allkem, Toyota Tsusho, Jemse	Jujuy Salts	25,000t	425	Dec-24	Jujuy

The initial stage projects below will add to the ones in production.

Tres Quebradas	Zijin Mining	Liex	20,000t	380	Dec-23	Catamarca
Sal de Los Angeles	Tibet Summit	Potasio y Litio Argentina	50,000t	700	Dec-23	Salta
Sal de Vida	Allkem	-	15,000t	271	Feb-24	Catamarca
Hombre Muerto North	Lithium South	-	5,000t	93	Mar-24	Catamarca
Sal de Oro	Posco Argentina	-	23,000t	830	Mar-24	Catamarca
Centenario-Ratones	Eramet, Tsingshan	Eramine Sudamérica	24,000t	770	Mar-24	Salta
Salar de Tolillar	Alpha Lithium	-	25,000t	776	1Q24	Salta
Kachi	Lake Resources, Lilac Solutions	Morena del Valle Minerals	50,000t	544	Jun-24	Catamarca
Mariana	Ganfeng Lithium	Litio Minera Argentina	10,000t	600	Dec-24	Salta
Salar de Rincón	Rio Tinto	-	3,000t	600	Jun-25	Salta
Pastos Grandes	Proyecto Pastos Grandes	-	24,000t	448	Nov-25	Salta
Second Fenix Expansion	Livent	Minera del Altiplano	30,000t	700	Dec-25	Catamarca
Sal de Vida (Stage 2)	Allkem	-	30,000t	524	Dec-25	Catamarca
Hombre Muerto West	Galan Lithium	-	20,000t	439	Dec-25	Catamarca
Pozuelos-Pastos Grandes	Ganfeng Lithium	Litica Resources	20,000t	338	Dec-26	Jujuy
Rincón	Puna Mining, Argosy Minerals	-	12,000t	200	Dec-27	Salta