Chile receives 12 bids for value-added lithium projects
2017-07-12 17:07:21 [Print]
BEIJING (Asian Metal) 12 Jul 17 - Twelve companies from seven countries have applied to manufacture lithium-linked products in Chile, Chilean officials disclosed on Monday, in what they called a success for the mining country's push to add value to its exports.
Officials noted that the companies that have applied to the program inlcude China's Sichuan Fulin Industrial Group Co, SinoVenture Chile, Gansu Daxiang Energy Technology Co, and a joint venture of Shenzheng Metal Tech Co and Jiangmen Kanhoo Industry Co; Chile's Molymet, Imelsa, and a joint venture of Invermer and Corporacion IDEOJ; Russia's TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom; South Korea's Samsung SDI Co; U.S. firm Bravo Motor Co; Belgium's Umicore; and a joint venture of Canada's Rubystock Financial Capital Corp and Fallingbrook Commodities.
Chile is part of South America's "lithium triangle," home to over 50% of the known lithium reserves in the world. But only abroad is lithium developed into products consumers can use, a fact Chile's government wants to change.
In March, Chilean state development agency CORFO invited bids from companies to manufacture value-added projects from the country's lithium. The winner will secure a steady supply of the metal at a favorable price, part of a deal CORFO made with U.S.-based supplier Albemarle Corp.
“Among the proposals are projects to create "next-generation" batteries, lithium salts, lithium metal, and several other materials”, said CORFO Executive Vice President Eduardo Bitran, adding that the selection process should be completed around January and more than one winner could be selected. Projects resulting from the auction, CORFO said, should come online in 2019.
Officials noted that the companies that have applied to the program inlcude China's Sichuan Fulin Industrial Group Co, SinoVenture Chile, Gansu Daxiang Energy Technology Co, and a joint venture of Shenzheng Metal Tech Co and Jiangmen Kanhoo Industry Co; Chile's Molymet, Imelsa, and a joint venture of Invermer and Corporacion IDEOJ; Russia's TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom; South Korea's Samsung SDI Co; U.S. firm Bravo Motor Co; Belgium's Umicore; and a joint venture of Canada's Rubystock Financial Capital Corp and Fallingbrook Commodities.
Chile is part of South America's "lithium triangle," home to over 50% of the known lithium reserves in the world. But only abroad is lithium developed into products consumers can use, a fact Chile's government wants to change.
In March, Chilean state development agency CORFO invited bids from companies to manufacture value-added projects from the country's lithium. The winner will secure a steady supply of the metal at a favorable price, part of a deal CORFO made with U.S.-based supplier Albemarle Corp.
“Among the proposals are projects to create "next-generation" batteries, lithium salts, lithium metal, and several other materials”, said CORFO Executive Vice President Eduardo Bitran, adding that the selection process should be completed around January and more than one winner could be selected. Projects resulting from the auction, CORFO said, should come online in 2019.
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