The Bolivian government announced a new tender for the extraction of lithium from the country’s salt flats , which has an international nature, as reported by the Minister of Energy last Friday. The call, led by the state company Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos (YLB), aims to develop projects in various salt flats in the Altiplano region, including three of the largest lithium reserves in Bolivia .
The country, together with Argentina and Chile, occupies the top of the so-called “lithium triangle”, which houses more than half of the world’s reserves of the metal, although it has faced challenges in starting industrial production.
During an event, the Minister of Energy, Franklin Molina, expressed the government’s intention to attract companies that use cutting-edge technology for industrial lithium production.
Lithium extraction tender: expectations
Applicants are expected to demonstrate their technical capacity to operate in the salt flats and present investment proposals, with a strong emphasis on respect for local communities and the environment, Molina noted.
In 2021, Bolivia issued its first call for exploration of lithium extraction by foreign companies. In this context, the government signed agreements with Chinese companies such as CBC and Citic Guoan, in addition to the Russian firm Uranium One Group, with the purpose of developing industrial facilities for the production of lithium carbonate.
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