This is confirmation that when there are clear rules and a long-term vision, it is possible to transform the country's current productive present into a future platform. This project reflects our purpose as a Group: to recover the value of excellence as a driver of innovation and to turn what seemed unattainable into a concrete opportunity for progress for all, fostering regional development. The development plan foresees a high local content component, with the majority participation of Argentine suppliers and services, and a significant impact in terms of qualified employment, knowledge transfer, and strengthening of the regional productive fabric. Gradually, the construction phase will generate between 1,000 and 1,500 jobs, while the operation will consolidate around 600 additional permanent direct jobs. From Aisa Group, they highlighted that the entry of Carbonatos Profundos into the RIGI marks the beginning of a new stage for Gualcamayo and for Argentine mining, based on an industrial, technological, and long-term vision that articulates investment, territorial development, and commitment to the highest operational standards. The Carbonatos Profundos project, recently approved under the large investments regime, contemplates an investment of over USD 665 million aimed at developing a state-of-the-art underground mine in the province of San Juan. The initiative includes the incorporation of a Pressure Oxidation (POX) plant. This is a highly complex technology that will allow for the processing of refractory minerals and position Argentina among the countries with the greatest industrial capacity applied to gold mining, as learned by the Noticias Argentinas news agency. The company Aisa Group achieved the incorporation of Carbonatos Profundos into the RIGI and reinforces its bet on productive development with a strategic long-term investment. "With this, we reinforce our long-term approach aimed at turning large investments into sustainable development, qualified employment, and innovation for Argentina," said the company. "The formalization of the entry into the RIGI — an approval that had been anticipated by the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, at the end of December 2025 — represents a decisive institutional milestone for the comprehensive launch of the project," they indicated. And they pointed out that the regime "provides regulatory predictability, long-term stability, and an adequate framework for a large-scale, technology, capital, and knowledge-intensive investment." In this sense, the advance consolidates a strategic initiative for both Argentine mining and the productive development of the province of San Juan. Juan José Retamero, head of Aisa Group, stated: "The incorporation of Carbonatos Profundos into the RIGI is not just an administrative step."
