Argentina’s Mining Secretary, Luis Lucero, has indicated that the country will commission eight new lithium projects by 2030 to more than double its installed production capacity, Argus reported on Tuesday.
The mostly brine-based projects will be developed by domestic and international companies and will increase production capacity of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) to an estimated 409,000 tonnes per year (tpy), a 157% increase above Argentina’s projected 2026 output of 159,000 tonnes.
Two developments expected to be commissioned in the coming months are Rio Tinto’s 60,000t-tpy Sal de Vida lithium carbonate project and Galán Lithium’s 9,500t-tpy Hombre Muerto West lithium chloride project.
Other developments include a joint venture between Revotech Asia and Xizang Zhufeng Resources for a 10,000-tpy Sal de Los Ángeles LCE project, a 12,000-tpy operation led by Argosy Minerals in Rincón and a joint venture between Ganfeng Lithium and Lithium Argentina that is targeting 150,000 tpy of LCE.
In total, the eight new projects will contribute 305,000 tpy to Argentina’s LCE production, with output rising gradually due to the time it typically takes brine-based projects to reach full capacity.
Argentina is supporting the expansion through its incentive regime for large investments, which offers tax exemptions, legal protections and 30 years of regulatory stability. Projects led by Rio Tinto and Galán Lithium have already been approved, while others await clearance.
