Eramet has announced the relaunching of the construction of a lithium plant in Argentina. Amid the rise of strong demand, the French firm for the metal product is increasingly seen as critical for future energy needs.
The lithium project had been cornered by the pandemic last year but now, the construction of the plant will be relaunched. As Eramet said, the Argentinian plant should start during the first quarter of 2022 with a commissioning scheduled for early 2024. According to preliminary plans, its an annual production will be close to 24,000 tonnes of lithium.
The decision to carry out the critically important lithium project in Argentina is in line with the dynamic of strong market growth.
“It is a key milestone in the deployment of our strategic roadmap which aims at positioning Eramet as a reference player in metals for the energy transition,” Christel Bories, Eramet CEO said.
Thus, Eramet is becoming the first European company to operate a sustainable and large-capacity lithium industrial complex in the Latin America. Foe Eramet, that is as well as opportunity for Europe’s sovereignty to secure tomorrow’s critical metals. For this project with high-value creation potential, Chinese partner Tsingshan will provide its industrial expertise and financing capabilities needed for the construction of the plant.
In general, Eramet controls the project, with a 50.1% interest, and retain operational management responsibility while its partner Tsingshan Group finances the plant’s construction in exchange for a 49.9% interest.
