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Northern Chile forms part of the Lithium Triangle with substantial reserves in the form of brine. The explosive growth in electric vehicles since 2015 has triggered increased demand. Chile is the main producer of lithium from brine. [13] Until 2017, when it was surpassed by Australia, Chile was the over-all main producer of lithium. [14]
In 2018, China's Tianqi Lithium Corp. purchased 23.77% stake in SQM from Canadian mining company Nutrien Ltd. [10] In 2019, Tianqi Lithium has come to an agreement over the governance of SQM with key shareholder Julio Ponce Lerou. [11] In October 2023, SQM acquired a 30% stake in Australia's Pirra Lithium. [12]
The lithium extraction process in Salar de Atacama begins with salty brine being pumped out of the ground and then put to rest in evaporation ponds so the remaining brine is slowly enriched in lithium. The evaporation pond stage takes usually 12 to 18 months which is the time it takes for it to reach a lithium concentration of 6%. [24]
The Lithium Triangle (Spanish: Triángulo del Litio) is a region of the Andes that is rich in lithium reserves, encompassed by the borders of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile. [1] The lithium in the triangle is concentrated in various salt pans that exist along the Atacama Desert and neighboring arid areas .
Lithium mine production (tonnes) Rank Country Year 2018 [2] 2019 [3] 2020 [4] 2021 [4] 2022 [5]; 1 Australia: 51,000 45,000 39,700 55,000 61,000 2 Chile: 16,000 19,300 21,500
Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile is a Chilean chemical and mining company that mines lithium and makes fertilizer and other chemicals.The company is currently under indictment and investigation for diverting funds to different politicians in Chile.
Mining is the main economic generator in the region. The Antofagasta Region is the heart of the mining industry, Chile's main source of export revenue. It represents 53% of Chile's mining output, led by copper and followed by potassium nitrate , gold, iodine , and lithium , which means it could have had GDP per capita higher than Luxembourg had ...
Chile's Atacama salt flat is sinking at a rate of 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) per year due to lithium brine extraction, according to a study by the University of Chile. The study used ...