Our lithium plant in full operation in November 2024
After two years, the construction of the lithium carbonate production plant at the Centenario Ratones camp, is almost completed.
In July, Eramet with Tsingshan and their Argentinian partners, celebrated a decisive step in a project that represents a huge industrial and human challenge: the start of the commissioning of the plant designed to extract lithium from the salar brine and process it into battery-grade lithium carbonate, required for the electric vehicles value chain.
With no pre-existing commercial presence in the country, we have established trusting relationships with the authorities and local communities. Our teams, together with our partners overcame considerable logistical challenges, particularly during the covid crisis, in a secluded and sparsely populated place.
Construction of an airstrip, gas compression plant 320 km from the plant, a life camp, equipment imports from more than 10 countries.
This was a major work that involves the assembly of 5,900 tons of steel structures.
With success towards our safety commitments: total recordable injury rate <2 for about 7 million hours of construction activity for 1,600 workers simultaneously on the site.
The plant will be fully operational in November 2024 and will have a production capacity of 24,000 tons of battery grade lithium carbonate per year.