With this renewed plan, according to officials, Chilean lithium production should increase by 70% by the end of the decade.
The Chilean Government announced on Tuesday that 26 salt flats will be opened to private companies and can be added to an official program to produce lithium through public-private partnerships, while Atacama and Maricunga will have majority control of the State.
In a statement to the press, several government officials indicated that it is a set of 26 salt flats in which the State is calling on private participation to exercise its leadership.
"It means that two salt flats fall under the strategic category, where the majority participation of the State is sought, another five salt flats in which there are public companies that are already starting projects, looking for partners (...) and 26 that will be open to private initiative" specified the Minister of Finance, Mario Marcel.
Also pointing out that in terms of lithium production potential there are "very large" differences between them.
Leftist President Gabriel Boric launched the so-called National Lithium Strategy in April last year, which seeks to increase state control over strategic lithium projects, a key element for electric batteries. Copper giant Codelco was appointed to lead the negotiations.
Since then, investors have been waiting for the government's new definitions for future projects in Chile, the world's largest producer of copper and second largest producer of lithium.
The Chilean Government also indicated on Tuesday that it has chosen the Atacama and Maricunga salt flats in the north of the country to declare them as areas in which the State will have majority control in public-private partnerships for lithium extraction.
But Mining Minister Aurora Williams pointed out that the Government is interested in participating in other salt flats that do not have a state majority.
In the case of public-private partnerships that will be led by private companies, they will begin with a bidding process in April and will end around July 2024, said Economy Minister Nicolás Graú.
"The Ministry of Mining is going to have in hand a set of salt flats for which there is interest from private parties so that they can lead these exploitation and exploration projects," he added.
He also pointed out that it will be necessary within these salt flats to carry out indigenous consultation on those that affect these communities.
Given the differences in the lithium production potential between the different exploitations, within the salt flats that have been opened to private initiative it will be necessary to see the viability of each one for the extraction of the metal, since it could be the case that they do not They are all attractive.
In Chile there are more than fifty salt flats and another twenty saline lagoons. Lithium is considered a strategic resource and cannot be given in concession.
The government once again highlighted its commitment to environmental protection, which will be granted to at least 30% of all salt flats.
The official plan until now was focused on the coveted Salar de Atacama, the largest lithium deposit in the world, where the only two companies that produce the light metal in Chile operate until now, the Chilean SQM and the American Albemarle.
With this renewed plan, according to officials, Chilean lithium production should increase by 70% by the end of the decade.
