Important progress for the production of lithium in Jujuy

Minera Exar SA yesterday inaugurated its first productive well in the Olaroz-Cauchari saline, located in the Susques department, south of the jujana puna, as part of the evaporation process aimed at get lithium carbonate, said its leaders.

The lithium triangle formed by Argentina, Chile and Bolivia is very important and is an essential step to change the production matrix in the province, and in light of the current change in the energy matrix world, "said Governor Gerardo Morales, to allow construction alongside the president of the Exar, Franco Mignacco.

The pool inaugurated yesterday has a length of 2 kilometers by 300 meters in width and a capacity of filling 1.9 meters of brine. "There will be a large-scale production and, as expected, will be the largest in Jujuy and the country," said the president. "Lithium, mining, renewable energy and tourism, among others, are the fundamental pillars of this great change in the productive matrix, "Morales said.

Exar, owner of one of the largest mining areas of this salt, is working effectively energy efficiency for the lithium concentration resulting from solar and wind evaporation.

For its part, the Secretary of Mines of the Nation, Carolina Sanchez, pointed out that lithium mining activity "has a strong momentum in the country in which Jujuy takes advantage of its potential to develop it."
In this context, "there is a demand in the world market for lithium in the form of lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide or lithium chloride, not only for the manufacture of batteries, but also for other uses, the challenge will therefore also be to place the product. "Moreover, he stressed that the creation of mining companies promotes the development of limes communities and" means opportunities for people, which prevents the uprooting and improves their economic conditions. "

Exar currently has 180 workers, nearly half of whom belong to the communities of Pastos Chicos, Huancar, Puesto Sey and Susques, among others, the department of Susques.

For Exar's president, Franco Mignacco, filling the company's first pool marks "a before and after in the project that has seen ten years of ups and downs, but we have reached that point that we makes it all very proud. "" It's a process that's only just beginning, and in a few days we'll complete the construction of the second well, "he added.

The Development Plan of Exar started immediately after the announcement of its decision to advance on the Cauchari-Olaroz project with the initial production target in Phase 1 of 25,000 tpy and with an extension for the Phase 2 of 25,000 tpy

The current authorities have estimated that during the first half of 2020, Exar would produce and sell lithium carbonate, in particular, in the lithium battery market.

Exar SA is a joint venture of Lithium Americas (62.5%) and Ganfeng Lithium (37.5%).
The project is managed by a public-private partnership in which the public company Jujuy Energía Mining S.E. (JEMSE) participates with 8.5%.