The Secretary General of the Presidency, Karina Milei, expressed during a conference the intention to turn Argentina into a country with an important mining industry. Milei met with authorities from Rio Tinto Group at Casa Rosada after overseeing relief work in Bahía Blanca. Rio Tinto recently completed the acquisition of Arcadium Lithium for $6.7 billion and announced an investment of $2.5 billion to expand lithium production at its Argentine project, Rincón.
The Rincón project has a production capacity of 60,000 tons of lithium carbonate per year and is expected to generate local employment and economic opportunities. The plant is planned to begin construction in 2025 and start production in 2028, reaching its maximum output in three years. The lifespan of Rincón is estimated at 40 years and will be located in the Argentine 'Lithium Triangle'.
Attendees at the meeting also included María Paula Uribe, Director of Foreign Affairs for Latin America at Rio Tinto, Guillermo Enrique Calo from Rio Tinto Argentina, Guillermo Francos, Luis Caputo, and Luis Lucero from the Argentine government. Rio Tinto Group is a multinational company established in 1995 and is one of the largest mining groups in the world. The company is involved in various mining projects in Argentina, including Los Azules and Rincón.
The Rincón project stands out for its direct lithium extraction technology that promotes water conservation and reduces effluents. Milei reaffirmed the importance of the mining industry for the economic and labor development of the country, stating that Argentina is focused on becoming one of the leading lithium producers globally. Rio Tinto's investment is supported by economic reforms and the Argentine Regime of Incentives for Large Investments (RIGI).
The company's president, Jakob Stausholm, and the CEO of Rio Tinto Lithium, Paul Graves, met with President Javier Milei at Casa Rosada to discuss future collaborations and the development of the mining industry in Argentina.
