Argentina has dramatically increased its lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) production capacity, tripling it in the last two years. According to the Chamber of Mining Entrepreneurs (CAEM), this impressive expansion has raised the country’s installed capacity to 136,500 tonnes as a result of various new projects. Argentina, the world’s fourth-largest lithium producer, currently has four significant projects in production.
Among these is the recently inaugurated Centenario Ratones plant in Salta, Argentina’s northern province. This project, a joint venture between France’s Eramet and Chinese steelmaker Tsingshan, expects to manufacture 24,000 tonnes of LCE per year by 2025.
This breakthrough is part of Argentina’s aim to bridge the output gap with Chile, the main producer of the key metal used in electric vehicle batteries. Argentina’s output potential for LCE was 37,500 tonnes in 2022, but it has now increased to 136,500 tonnes.
Argentina, which is part of South America’s “lithium triangle” with Chile and Bolivia, is prepared to grow output even further, with new projects set to begin later this year. The rise in demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy technology is driving this increase in production, highlighting Argentina’s crucial role in the global lithium industry.
