Catamarca Prepares Four Lithium Production Milestones

Catamarca will see four lithium production milestones during October, marked by the inauguration of three plants and the startup of one expansion. The initiatives involve POSCO, Rio Tinto, and Galan Lithium across different projects in the province.

The first event is scheduled for October 6, when POSCO inaugurates the Lithium Carbonate Plant No. 2 at Sal de Oro. The facility, located in the cooperation zone between Catamarca and Salta, will be the company's first production plant in Catamarca territory and will have a projected capacity of 25,000 tons annually.

Toward month-end, Rio Tinto plans to start operations on a lithium carbonate plant with a capacity of 15,000 tons annually at Sal de Vida. Additionally, the company will advance with the Fénix 1B expansion at Salar del Hombre Muerto, which would increase the Fénix project's production capacity to 38,000 tons per year.

Galan Lithium also plans to inaugurate the Hombre Muerto Oeste plant, located at Salar del Hombre Muerto, with estimated production of 5,000 tons annually. The date of the event has not yet been confirmed.

In parallel, the Australian company agreed to contribute US$300,000 to the Mining Royalties Trust Fund. The funds will be allocated to road improvements and the new layout of Provincial Route 43.

According to the Catamarca Government, the four projects combine investments of US$2.113 billion under the Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI). The reported amounts are US$217 million for Hombre Muerto Oeste, US$531 million for Fénix 1B, US$547 million for Sal de Oro, and US$818 million for Sal de Vida.

Governor Raúl Jalil characterized the progress as a "historic moment for lithium mining" and noted that the startup of these developments could increase royalties, exports, employment, activity among local suppliers, and public works in western Catamarca.