In less than three years since the construction of the plant began, and thanks to the dedication and commitment of our team, we have reached our most anticipated milestone: the first production of lithium carbonate at our Centenario plant.

This plant is the first to implement, on an industrial scale, the advanced Direct Lithium Extraction (“DLE”) technology developed by Eramet. This cutting-edge technology enables the production of sustainable, high-performance lithium carbonate suitable for electric vehicle batteries. It is designed to extract and produce 24,000 tons annually of battery-grade lithium carbonate.

The drainable mineral resources of the Centenario-Ratones salar amount to over 15 Mt of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (“LCE”), with an average concentration of 407 mg/L of lithium in the brine. These world-class resources are sufficiently abundant to support a production capacity exceeding 75 kt-LCE/year over the long term.

In a year marked by challenges across the sector, this milestone reflects our ability to overcome obstacles and move forward with determination to become an industry leader.

The start of our lithium production at Centenario in Argentina represents a key milestone for the diversification of the Group into metals for the energy transition, this will place Eramet as the first European company to produce lithium carbonate at an industrial scale. I would like to thank and congratulate our teams for their strong commitment and their determination in delivering this DLE project within an impressive timeframe compared to similar projects in the region, despite the technical, logistical and meteorological challenges associated with its location at 4,000 meters of altitude in the remote Andean Highlands. In 2025, we will ramp up production at the plant, aiming at becoming a key global player in the sustainable production of lithium.

Christel Bories
Chair and CEO of Eramet group