Argentina is emerging as one of the leading destinations for lithium investment worldwide, ranking third after Chile and Australia. It is expected that investments in the country will reach a total of US$ 7 billion by 2032, with companies such as Arcadium, Posco, Ganfeng, and Rio Tinto showing interest in participating in this market.
In Argentina, there are nearly 40 mining projects focused on lithium extraction, with the provinces of Salta, Catamarca, Jujuy, and San Juan being the most notable in this regard. Currently, the producing deposits are located in Catamarca and Jujuy. According to the United States Geological Survey, Argentina has the third-largest lithium reserve in the world, an essential mineral for the future of electric mobility.
In the province of Catamarca, the Fénix project, operated by Livent, is located in the Salar del Hombre Muerto at 4,000 meters above sea level. Meanwhile, in Jujuy, the Sales de Jujuy project, operated by a partnership formed by Allkem, Toyota Tsusho, and JEMSE, is located in the Salar de Olaroz at 4,500 meters above sea level. Recently, Livent and Allkem announced a merger to create NewCo, with a production capacity of approximately 250,000 tons per year of lithium by 2027.
On the other hand, Chile has projected investments of US$ 2.3 billion, with companies such as SQM, Salado Isolation Mining Contractors (Simco), and Minera Salar Blanco. Regarding lithium production, Chile is the second-largest producer globally, with a concentration of reserves in the Salar de Atacama, and SQM and Albemarle are the leading producing companies.
Australia, on the other hand, ranks as the largest lithium producer globally, with 88,000 metric tons produced in 2024. In terms of reserves, Australia has 7 million tons, with the largest operation being a partnership formed by Tianqi, IGO, and Albemarle. Although Argentina has 4,000,000 tons of proven reserves, it currently ranks as the fifth-largest producer globally, behind Australia, Chile, China, and Zimbabwe. Global lithium production has experienced an 18% increase in 2024, reaching 240,000 tons, driven by the growing demand for lithium-ion batteries and the increase in global production capacity.
