Our first lithium carbonate was delivered in December 2024
Eramine started the commissioning of its industrial complex in July 2024 after more than 2 years of construction. The first lithium carbonate was produced in December 2024 and shipped in early 2025.
- Commissioning started in July 2024
- First non-commercial lithium carbonate production was delivered in December 2024
- First lithium carbonate equivalent was exported in February 2025 (40 tonnes of LCE). Driven by our team’s unwavering commitment, we are steadily increasing both volume and quality.
- Our goal is to surpass 13,000 tonnes of LCE by the end of 2025.
- We expect to reach our full production capacity of 24,000 tonnes per year after ramp-up completion.
Today the long-term potential of the deposit is estimated at above 75.000 tonnes LCE. Following the takeover of full ownership of Centenario-Ratones Project, the Eramet group is currently re-evaluating the scope and optimal calendar of future capacity expansion phases.
A large-scale production plant at 3,800 metres above sea level
The construction of our industrial-scale lithium carbonate production plant took almost 3 years. Our team and more than 20 contractor companies, with a workforce exceeding 3,000 workers at the peak of construction. This large-scale project required the assembly of 5,900 tonnes of steel structures in a remote and challenging location, demanding innovative solutions to overcome significant logistical challenges. These challenges were further intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic.
We have built a plant and mining installations with all their facilities including a hybrid power plant and a solar plant, but also a basecamp and a landing strip, used to transport Eramine employees, thus reducing traffic on the roads and ensuring that our teams arrive at work safely and well-rested.
Mining at Eramine is not being done underground or by excavating earth but by pumping. The impact on the ground is thus very limited.