According to Agence France-Presse, Chile's Ministry of Mines recently announced that Chile avoided the world's two largest lithium producers when signing a lithium mining contract with a total price of $121 million, one for Chilean companies and the other for Chinese companies.
China's BYD Chile and Chile's Northern Mining Service Operations Company each received 80,000 tons of lithium mining rights, although the Chilean Ministry of Mines did not specify the location of the lithium mine.
Yabao, which accounts for 19% of the world's lithium mining, and Chilean chemical mining company, which accounts for 17% of mining, both lost bids.
According to the report, Chile is the world's second largest producer of lithium ore, ranking behind Australia. The latter accounts for 32% of the global lithium ore market.
This particularly low-density metal is mainly used in the production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and mobile devices.
Chile's Ministry of Mines said: "The addition of these two companies will enhance the vitality of the local lithium mining industry so that Chile can regain its position on the world stage." ”
The ministry also said Chile had been the world's largest producer of lithium ore until 2016.
Chile's Ministry of Mines said the contract awarded a mining quota equivalent to 1.8 percent of Chile's "known lithium deposits."
According to the German market and customer data company Statista Survey, Chile accounts for 57% of the world's lithium deposits.
The International Energy Agency predicts that demand for lithium will grow by 42% by 2040.
Bydy China bid $61 million, while Mining Services Operator In Northern Chile bid $60 million.
The two companies have 7 years to conduct research and project development, and then another 20 years to mine lithium.
The bid was controversial in Chile because it took place just three months before the end of his term, the country's former president, Sebastián Pinheira.
The team of the new president-elect Gabriel Boric asked the Chilean government to postpone the tender and convene a "round table" to discuss the various applicable contracts.
Chilean Mining Minister Juan Carlos Hoveite said the Chilean government would work with successful bidders to ensure that "a portion of what they have to pay is used to support local communities and invest in research and development".
It is reported that Chile has opened a total of 5 tenders, but the other 3 bids are considered to be too low bids. (Compiler/Zheng Guoyi)
Source: Reference News Network
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