President of YLB, Omar Alarcón, said in an interview with the state channel Bolivia Tv that this corporation is preparing more contracts for “the next few weeks.”

“There are other contracts coming, they are in their final stage of negotiation as well, and we hope that in the next few weeks we can have good news regarding other companies from other countries,” Alarcón confirmed.

In 2023, the Russian company Uranium One Group and the Chinese company Citic Gouan signed separate agreements to install industrial lithium carbonate production plants in the Uyuni and Pastos Grandes salt flats, in the department of Potosí, with an investment of 1.4 billion dollars.

Based on these agreements, a project was developed to construct and install two lithium carbonate production plants of 50 thousand tons (t) per year (each of 25 thousand t), with EDL (Direct Lithium Extraction) technology.

As a result of one of these protocols, last Wednesday YLB and Uranium One Group signed the first contract to build an industrial factory capable of yielding 14 thousand t annually of battery-grade lithium carbonate, with EDL technology and an investment of 970 million US dollars.

Alarcón explained that, in compliance with the Political Constitution of the State (CPE), YLB sent the signed contract to the Plurinational Legislative Assembly (ALP) for its corresponding assessment and approval.

The Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy has described Citic Guoan as the first Chinese company to venture into the Direct Extraction of Lithium technology from raw brine.

It describes this multinational as a leader in the management of EDL technology, battery manufacturing and electric cars.

Bolivian authorities reiterate that the agreements were signed in the context of the sovereign business model, through which the Bolivian State guarantees absolute control, through YLB, in the construction of the plants, production, marketing and the entire lithium production chain and also evaporite resources.

Ied/ro/jpm