Reference News Network, December 26** According to the Efe news agency on December 15, Bolivia ** inaugurated a new industrial complex on the 15th, which will produce more than 150,000 tons of lithium carbonate. This is the first industrial complex of its kind in Bolivia. This metal is used in the manufacture of batteries due to its great ability to store energy.
The plant is located near the Salar de Uyuni. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Luis Alberto Arce of Bolivia, Franklin Molina, Minister of Hydrocarbons and Energy, and the National Lithium Mining Company of Bolivia.
Arce said Bolivia had taken an "extremely important step" in its economic life by "fully entering the lithium industrialization process".
The 6 was initially prepared for this plant, which will be managed by the Bolivian National Lithium Mining Company, the one said6.9 billion bolivianos (about $96 million) budget, but the final investment "greatly exceeded" this figure. He did not give specific investment figures.
Minister Molina said the plant would "produce more than 1. per year."50,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate" and will be the "backbone" of the plan to produce up to 100,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year in the provinces of Oruro and Potosi.
Bolivia is embarking on industrial-scale lithium production, and we want to lead our country to become one of the most important lithium producers in the world. The minister said.
With an area of about 10,000 square kilometers and an altitude of about 3,600 meters, the Salar de Uyuni is considered one of the largest lithium deposits in the world and one of Bolivia's main tourist attractions.
*The plant is expected to reach 20% capacity within this month and 100% capacity in 2024. Bolivia** is betting on the application of direct lithium extraction technology. (Compiled by Tian Ce).