Review our special platform with information on the development and progress of the lithium industry in Chile.
September 9, 2025
Chilean Government signs first special lithium operation contract with Enami for the exploitation of the Altoandinos Salt Flat.
May 22, 2025
CODELCO chooses Rio Tinto as partner to develop the lithium project located in the Maricunga Salt Flat.
May 22, 2025
ENAMI chooses Rio Tinto as operating partner for the “Salares Altoandinos” lithium project, with an estimated investment of US$ 3 billion.
April 22, 2025
The Chilean Government advances in the implementation of the National Lithium Strategy: applications for the allocation of Special Lithium Operating Contracts in three prioritised salt flats (Salar de Agua Amarga, Salar de Ascotán and Salar de Coipasa) were accepted for processing by means of a simplified procedure.
November 5, 2024
The Ministry of Mining initiated three new Indigenous Consultation processes for the allocation of Special Lithium Operating Contracts (CEOL) for 3 of the 6 salt flats prioritised during September 2024 (Salar de Coipasa, Salar de Ascotán and Salar de Ollague).
October 30, 2024
The Ministry of Mining issued a resolution establishing the simplified procedure for the allocation of Special Lithium Operating Contracts (CEOL) for the 6 salt flats prioritised during September 2024 (Coipasa Salt Flat, Ascotán Salt Flat, Ollagüe Salt Flat, Piedra Parada Salt Flat, Agua Amarga Salt Flat and the Laguna Verde Salt Flat).
July 26, 2024
The National Mining Company (ENAMI) announces that 12 companies from 8 different countries are competing for its ‘Salares Altoandinos’ lithium project. As part of the bidding process for this project, ENAMI will define a partner in an exclusive negotiation with those selected.
July 9, 2024
The Government of Chile published the results of the expressions of interest process to develop lithium exploration and exploitation projects in Chile (RFI process), aiming to design processes for awarding special lithium operation contracts (“CEOL”), based on updated information.
June 23, 2024
Codelco is seeking a strategic partner to extract and produce lithium at the Paloma Project located in the Maricunga salt flat, and is offering a stake of up to 49%.
May 31, 2024
Codelco and SQM sign agreement to exploit lithium in the Atacama Salt Flat until 2060.
May 16, 2024
The National Mining Company (ENAMI) has opened a bidding process for the public-private partnership for the High Andean Salt Flats project.
May 15, 2024
ENAMI will begin bidding this week to find a strategic partner for a lithium project in the Alto Andino salt flats. Bidding conditions will be published on 16 May and the partner is expected to be in place by the first quarter of 2025.
April 9, 2024
The National Mining Company (ENAMI) initiates the selection of a technological partner to exploit a lithium project in the High Andean salt flats and invests 10 million dollars to explore salt flats.
March 26, 2024
Progress in the National Lithium Strategy: the Chilean Government has defined which salt flats will be tendered for the development of private projects and which salt flats will be considered strategic.
March 6, 2024
Finance Minister Mario Marcel reported that they expect to have 3 or 4 lithium-related project initiatives by 2026, in addition to Albemarle and SQM.
5 march 2024
Australian authorities authorise Codelco’s purchase of Lithium Power International Limited (“LPI”). LPI is the owner of the “Salar Blanco” lithium project located in the Salar de Marincagua.
February 22, 2024
The Corporation for the Promotion of Production (Corfo) announced a process to co-finance projects for the development of metallic lithium, second battery life and green copper.
January 24, 2023
Codelco to tender 49% of its Maricunga project and define strategic partner by 2025.
January 23, 2023
Lithium Power International shareholders’ meeting approved the sale of 100% of its shares to Codelco.
January 7, 2023
After Codelco’s agreement with SQM, which are the lithium projects that are expecting definitions from the Chilean government with an investment of over US$3,000 million.
27 December, 2023
Codelco and SQM sign an agreement for the exploitation of lithium through a partnership between the two companies. This will take effect from 1 January 2025 and will operate in the Salar de Atacama until 2060.
26 October, 2023
Corfo indicates that the definition of the Protected Salt Flats will be subject to the results of the citizen dialogues.
17 October, 2023
Codelco reached an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Lithium Power International (“LPI”). LPI is the owner of the “Salar Blanco” lithium project, which is located in the Salar de Marincagua.
16 October, 2023
Corfo assigned the status of specialized lithium producer to Yongqing Technology Co. Ltd., a Chinese company from the city of Wenzhou. Yongqing Technology will access 11,244 tons of lithium per year at a preferential price until 2030.
16 October, 2023
Chilean company Tsingshan will establish a lithium battery factory in Mejillones for USD233 million.
August 8, 2023
Senator Rodrigo Galilea proposes in the Mining and Energy Commission of the Senate the idea of removing the strategic status of lithium and declaring it a concessionable mineral, with the aim of speeding up investment projects.
July 5, 2023
The resolution No. 62 of the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism and CORFO was published in the Official Gazette, which creates the Lithium and Salt Flats Committee and contains rules on its operation and integration. This committee will be composed of the Minister of Mining, as its president, the Minister of Economy, Development and Tourism, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of the Environment, the Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation and the Executive Vice President of CORFO.
According to the resolution, its main objectives will be to support the execution of the National Lithium Strategy, as well as to be a coordinating entity for the different public and private actors in the industry and to follow opportunities for chaining and adding value at the local level in the lithium production chain.
June, 2023
Government published the first document containing strategic definitions and key milestones for the implementation of the National Lithium Strategy, announced in April of this year.
May 26, 2023
CODELCO and SQM initiated preliminary negotiations to achieve the incorporation of the State in the productive activity of the Atacama salt flat through a public-private partnership.
May 24, 2023
CORFO designates CODELCO as the leader of the negotiation process for granting of new administrative concession or special operation contracts “CEOLs” in the Atacama salt flat.
May 19, 2023
CODELCO (state owned cooper mining company) created two subsidiaries in order to carry out lithium-related projects: “Salares de Chile SpA” and “Minera Tarar SpA”.
- Salares de Chile SpA would act as a holding company that will consolidate the lithium activities that CODELCO develops in different salt flats, including the Maricunga salt flat.
- Minera Tarar SpA would participate in the operations in the Atacama Salt Flat, forming public-private partnerships with the companies that are currently operating in such area.
May 16, 2023
CORFO approved the creation of a Lithium and Salt Flats committee (“Comité de Litio y Salares”). Its purpose will be to collaborate with the achievement of the purpose of the National Lithium Strategy.
April 27, 2023
Empresa Nacional de Minería (Enami), along with Codelco, will be the State’s mechanism for operating in the lithium industry. Enami announced that the project will require an investment of over US$1.5 billion, and it is estimated that its production levels could exceed 60,000 tons per year.
April 25, 2023
CORFO opened a tender for the design of the Public Lithium and Salt Flats Research and Technological Institute. The purpose of the institute will be to contribute to the sustainable development and improve regulatory public policies regarding the lithium industry.
April 20, 2023
Chile’s President Gabriel Boric announced a strategy for promoting the Chilean lithium industry (“National Lithium Strategy”).
April 19, 2023
CORFO (”Corporacion de Fomento de la Producción”), a Chilean Development Agency, granted a specialized lithium producer status to the Chinese company BYD Chile SpA. As a result, the electric vehicle company will access to the preferential price for 11,244 tons of lithium carbonate annually.
During the second semester of 2023
It is expected that the government will grant administrative concession or special operation contracts “CEOLs” to state owned companies for lithium exploration/exploitation.
During the second semester of 2023
A bill of law is expected to be submitted to the National Congress for the creation of a new Chilean National Lithium Company with the objective of participating in the entire industrial cycle of the mineral.
During the first semester of 2024
It is expected that The Public Lithium and Salt Flats Research Institute will be created, which will concentrate the technological development and research of the Chilean lithium industry.
During the first semester of 2024
It is expected that the government will make improvement of the institutional and regulatory framework for the adequate development of the Chilean lithium industry.
During the second semester of 2024
It is expected that a tender process to grant exploration CEOLs to private parties would be launched regarding those salt flats that are eligible for lithium extraction.
contacts
fgarrido@bye.cl 
