Rio Tinto Officially Commissions Two Lithium Processing Plants in Argentina with US$1.4 Billion Investment

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 28, Rio Tinto officially held a commissioning ceremony for two lithium processing facilities in Catamarca Province, Argentina, involving the new Sal de Vida lithium carbonate plant and the Fénix 1B expansion project, with a combined investment of approximately US$1.4 billion. Both projects achieved first production in the second quarter of 2026 and are currently in the ramp-up phase. Once design capacity is reached, they will add 25,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) of annual production capacity.

The Sal de Vida project is located at the Salar del Hombre Muerto in Catamarca Province, Argentina, and is designed to produce 15,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year using brine evaporation and concentration technology. The project scope includes brine extraction, evaporation and concentration, and lithium carbonate processing facilities. The additional capacity created will be integrated into Rio Tinto's lithium production system in Argentina. The project is located in the same salar area as the Fénix plant, with the two facilities respectively undertaking new capacity construction and expansion of existing capacity.

The Fénix 1B project adds lithium processing facilities to increase the existing plant's annual capacity by approximately 10,000 tonnes of LCE, bringing the targeted annual capacity after expansion to approximately 40,000 tonnes. The Fénix project uses selective adsorption direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology to separate and recover lithium from brine. The expansion also involves processing facilities, supporting infrastructure, and enhanced natural gas supply capacity, with the relevant systems now in actual production operation.

With the two facilities in operation, Rio Tinto's planned annual lithium production capacity in Argentina will increase from approximately 75,000 tonnes to approximately 100,000 tonnes of LCE. The additional capacity comes from the new Sal de Vida project and the Fénix 1B expansion project, both of which have achieved first production but still need to complete ramp-up to reach design levels.

Rio Tinto is advancing the Rincón lithium project in Salta Province, Argentina, which is designed to produce 60,000 tonnes of LCE per year with an investment of approximately US$2.5 billion, including an initial 3,000-tonne-per-year production facility and subsequent expansion capacity of 57,000 tonnes. Rio Tinto plans to increase its annual lithium production capacity in Argentina to approximately 160,000 tonnes by 2028, with a global lithium business annual capacity target of 200,000 tonnes of LCE.