Foreign-backed miner hopes to begin Chilean lithium project in 2020
The approval process for the necessary environmental permit for the initiative, which includes an investment of $527 million, began this month.
The approval process for the necessary environmental permit for the initiative, which includes an investment of $527 million, began this month.
150 construction jobs and 160 positions for operators.
Deal will see China’s No.1 producer of lithium supplying 20 percent of its production to the electric cars maker.
The Maricunga project in northern Chile has seen significant past exploration, with over $30 million spent to date.
Lake Resources and Lilac Solutions claim they can produce lithium carbonate or lithium chloride more rapidly and at a lower cost than others.
The proposed tax, to be applied on the nominal value of extracted metals, would affect copper miners that produce more than 12,000 tonnes of the metal and those extracting 50,000 tonnes of lithium a year.
The focus on lithium-ion batteries seems to reflect supply and demand of lithium and cobalt but it would be very wrong not to include nickel.
Partners may lose their right to develop the Mt Holland lithium project after a recommendation by a unit of the West Australian government that regulates mining leases.
Namibia's Desert Lion Energy ceases all operations as Chinese lithium prices plummet to three-year lows – down by half since the start of 2018.
The project, which straddles salt flats and lakes across 135 square miles near the Chilean border, is billed as having high concentrations of lithium.