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Salted Opportunity There is a Lithium Triangle! This Could Mitigate Procurement Bottlenecks

Source: dpa | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

The lithium triangle (Triángulo del Litio) between Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile is becoming increasingly interesting for resource-hungry industrialized nations ...

This is not the view of the surface of the planet Crait before the showdown between Luke Skywalker and the First Order took place. Under this salt crust in Bolivia, no red dust emerges. But there’s one thing underneath: the ever-demanded lithium!(Image: Salt`n Area)
This is not the view of the surface of the planet Crait before the showdown between Luke Skywalker and the First Order took place. Under this salt crust in Bolivia, no red dust emerges. But there’s one thing underneath: the ever-demanded lithium!
(Image: Salt`n Area)

The element lithium belongs to the group of light metals and is known to be needed for the batteries of smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles. Due to the general shift away from fossil fuels and the move toward e-mobility, the demand for lithium is rising, which also means that this resource may soon become scarce. In the glaring sun of the South American high desert, there stretches an equally dazzling sea that, instead of water, contains salt. Beneath this crackling crust of the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia lies a hidden treasure, nothing less than the coveted lithium—the "oil of our time," as some call it. The total demand for lithium could increase by a factor of four to eight by the year 2030. Due to its specific properties, it is currently irreplaceable. A shortage would especially affect Europe, as lithium is globally largely under the control of China. In Germany, efforts are already underway to explore the use of domestic reserves.

Latin America's Lithium Deposits Could Become very Important

Bolivia, however, is the secret global leader when it comes to lithium! It is estimated that almost a quarter of the world's reserves are located here, primarily in salt flats such as the Salar de Uyuni, as well as the Salar de Atacama in Chile and the Salar del Hombre Muerto in Argentina. While Chile and Argentina are already heavily extracting lithium, Bolivia remains far below its potential due to political instability, technical difficulties, and national control, as experts point out. While the mentioned lithium resources include all known deposits, reserves refer only to the portion that is economically extractable under current conditions. The supply of these lithium reserves is currently dominated by Australia and Chile, which together account for about 75 percent of global mining production. Canada, the Congo, and Mali could also be added. However, Latin America alone could increase its share of lithium production to around 30 percent by 2030, becoming a second pillar for overall supply.

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