Santiago, August 25th (Argus) - Chilean borax producer Quiborax has obtained a special operational contract (Ceol) for the production of lithium in the Arica and Parinacota regions in northern Chile.
According to the Ministry of Mines, the contract signed by the company with the Minister of Mines and Economy Daniel Mas allows Quiborax to produce a total of 20,000 tons of lithium carbonate (LCE) from mining tailings by December 31, 2046.
The company estimates that it will need to invest 70 million US dollars to extract lithium from its factory in El Aguirra. The factory processes mineral raw materials from the Suriye and Ascotan salt lake mining areas in northern Chile.
The contract only allows for the processing of lithium from the existing tailings at the industrial plant and does not include new waste or direct extraction from the salt lake.
The contract stipulates that the project must complete the engineering design, environmental permits, and construction phases within five years after the contract is signed.
The Chilean Auditor General has approved the Ceol clause included in Mining Decree 33-2025.
This is the first Ceol agreement signed exclusively with a private enterprise under the national lithium strategy formulated by former President Gabriel Boric.
According to its official website, Quiborax is the world's third-largest borax producer, with an annual output of 110,000 tons.
