Chile Receives High Interest in Lithium Project

In a significant development for the global lithium market, Chile's national mining company, Enami, has garnered substantial investor interest in its Salares Altoandinos lithium project located in the northern Atacama region. The company reported receiving 12 expressions of interest from companies and consortia across eight different countries, eager to form a joint venture with Enami and finance the initiative.

The interested parties include Axionit from Russia; Besalco and Errazuriz Group – IBC from Chile; BTR Consortium, BYD, and CNRG from China; Eramet from France; LG Energy Solution and Posco from South Korea; Rio Tinto from Australia; Summit Nanotech – HATCH from Canada; and Tecpetrol from Argentina.

Enami will assess the proposals by August 19 to ensure they meet the request for information requirements, after which negotiations with selected companies will commence.

Enami, which supports small and medium-sized mining operations in Chile, is investing $10.5 million in exploring the Altoandinos region, with a focus on the Aguilar, La Isla, and Grande salt flats. The initial exploration results have been described as "promising," with further exploration set to resume in September to better define the project's resources and reserves.

This move to attract private investment in the Altoandinos project aligns with Chile's national lithium strategy, which aims to double the country’s lithium production over the next decade.