Regarding his lithium initiative in the Maricunga salt flat, where he is currently looking for a partner, Pacheco said that it would have aroused interest between 30 and 40 companies.
Reuters.- The recently announced partnership between Chile’s Codelco and SQM for lithium operations in the Atacama salt flat could begin production with a new direct extraction technology by 2033, the president of the state company’s board of directors, Máximo Pacheco, said on Thursday.
SQM currently produces the key metal for electric car batteries through the evaporation pool method, but the government has shown interest in industry operators migrating towards direct extraction, which would be environmentally better.
The executive also said that the plans to form the joint venture remain on schedule, despite the dispute by China’s Tianqi – an SQM shareholder – over the way in which the pact should be approved.
“I don’t see how I could prevent this partnership from happening,” Pacheco said.
Tianqi asked the financial regulator to rule on whether the signed agreement should be voted on by the shareholders’ meeting or should only be approved by the board of directors, as it initially ruled in response to a query from SQM.
Regarding his lithium initiative in the Maricunga salt flat, where he is currently looking for a partner, Pacheco said that it would have aroused interest between 30 and 40 companies.
Pacheco said they could have non-binding offers for the partnership in Maricunga in the third quarter to finally announce their partner in the first quarter of next year.
Earlier, Reuters reported that Codelco plans to start lithium production in Maricunga in 2030.
