Could you give us an overview of Albemarle’s Chilean operations and production profile?

Albemarle is a leading company in the Chilean lithium industry, having been operating in the country for over 40 years. The company started its lithium exploitation activities in the 1980s in a joint venture with the state through CORFO, which is Chile’s Economic Development Agency. Recently, we completed the expansion of our chemical commercial plant in La Negra, which has increased Albemarle’s Chilean production capacity to over 85,000 t/y of lithium carbonate. Our operations are divided into plants; at the Salar de Atacama plant, we extract and concentrate lithium brine, which is then transported to our La Negra plant close to Antofagasta where we produce the final product – battery grade lithium carbonate, created specifically for electronic devices, electric cars, and safety equipment markets.

Can you provide more information about Albemarle’s investment in La Negra into thermal evaporator recycling technology?

Yes, certainly. The thermal evaporator recycling technology investment allows us to reduce the consumption of fresh water at La Negra by approximately 30% per kilo of product. The plant was commissioned in 2021, and its final product is currently in the process of qualification with customers. We expect it to be fully qualified by Q3 2022. This US$100 million investment forms part of Albemarle’s commitment to a greener future and our effort to increase the sustainability of our operations.

What are your thoughts on the current discussions surrounding lithium mining in Chile?

The result of the Constitutional Assembly vote on 15th May was promising, as it appears to be moderate and balanced. We hope this enables a new era of prosperity in the country. Albemarle is also excited about the creation of a national lithium company to build policy regarding lithium, create opportunities to add value in Chile, develop the value chain within the country, and also to invest more in R&D in the lithium space. The government is also open to partnerships between the public and private sectors to further develop the lithium industry in Chile. Regarding how to add downstream capabilities to Chile’s lithium sector, it is beyond the reach of one specific company to develop the value chain, and therefore all actors, including the government, private sector, academia, and society must be involved.

What is the latest update regarding the charges levelled by Chile’s environmental regulator (SMA) related to the alleged over-extraction of brine in the Atacama?

At Albemarle, we have always been committed to operating sustainably and with full transparency. Therefore, we provided information and posed a question to the SMA to clarify some aspects that were not clear about our permits. We are convinced that we acted with full transparency, and there are no infringements. The SMA, however, did press charges against us, but we are collaborating with them and have already filed our response providing additional information to the authority.