Energy Exploration Technologies (EnergyX) announced Thursday the appointment of Juan Carlos Barrera as the company’s President of Lithium, South America.
Barrera, a 32-year veteran of the mining industry, joins EnergyX after spending 2 years with petroleum giant Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) and 28 years with Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM; NYSE: SQM), the world’s largest lithium producer.
He received his Industrial Engineer degree from Católica University of Chile and his dual MBA degree from Tulane University and University of Chile.
EnergyX said Barrera’s experience will be key to the company’s plans to expand its operations in South America. Barrera’s last 12 years with SQM saw him occupy the role of Lithium and Potassium Senior Operations Vice-President, where he directly managed more than 1,700 persons, 11 production plants and the development of investment projects over $1.6 billion across Chile, Argentina and Australia.
With over 50 patents focused on creating more efficient and sustainable lithium extraction from brine
to battery, EnergyX is committed to providing sustainable solutions capable of driving the global transition to net zero.
The company has been in an active tender process with the Bolivian lithium industry, where its proprietary Lithium Ion Transport and Separation (LiTAS) technology has been operating since early 2022.