The agreement, with a duration of two years extendable, focuses on promoting spaces for collaboration in favor of innovation, scientific and technological development, which promote the development and entry of new technologies to move towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly lithium industry.
Santiago, October 30, 2023.- Albemarle, a global leader in the supply of essential elements for mobility, energy, connectivity and health, signed an alliance with the National Piloting Center (CNP) – a center supported by Corfo and which specializes in piloting and validating new mining technologies – to develop joint work focused on the advancement and development of innovations for sustainable lithium extraction operations.
"We are focused on continuing to grow and generate added value to our industry. We are committed to the development of the 'New Era of Lithium', in which we are taking concrete steps to evolve the way we do things, in the search for new sources of water, in collaborating with others to make access to desalinated sea water to the Salar de Atacama basin viable. in the research and application of new forms of lithium production with direct extraction technologies," said Ignacio Mehech, Country Manager and VP External Affairs LATAM.
The signing of the agreement took place within the framework of the CNP 2023 Ecosystem Meeting, which was held in Santiago, on October 19 and was attended by Carlos Calderón, the company's Control and Finance Manager, representing Albemarle.
The agreement seeks to promote spaces for collaboration in favor of innovation, scientific and technological development of the mining industry in Chile, through the exchange and transfer of technological knowledge, exchange of relevant information, the development of joint activities of mutual interest and the establishment of collaboration and technological innovation networks of Albemarle and the technology center.
In this sense, Andrés González, general manager of the CNP, explained that this alliance is based on the objectives of deepening the progress of sustainable and competitive lithium mining and extraction, which is interrelated with the CNP's purpose, which is to improve the mining industry in its different aspects. "The alliance with Albermarle is strategic because it allows us to expand our capabilities to non-metallic mining, especially to the thriving local lithium industry, where there are several projects under development where their extraction technologies and efficiency in the process is key to obtaining regulatory approvals and financing to start their operations. This moment of transition is crucial for new technologies and new tools to have an impact on sustainable, green and environmentally friendly lithium production," González specified.
Basically, the agreement makes available the CNP's expert piloting capabilities both in the Salar de Atacama and in the La Negra chemical plant to capture and accelerate technologies that are of interest to Albermarle; and in parallel these two sites are added to the CNP network, reaching 13 test sites. In addition, the agreement will explore and support technology-based developers in the field. In this way, Albermarle will have a leading role in the development, acceleration and adoption of technologies, generating this capacity for the ecosystem as a whole.
What is coming in the future with this agreement is precisely to generate a positive impact for the acceleration and development of lithium technologies that allow generating technologies from Chile to the world, enabling operations that are benchmarks in efficiency, productivity and respect for the environment.
Within the framework of this agreement, Albemarle undertakes to facilitate access to industrial infrastructure in lithium extraction and purification processes for pilot tests; develop search and/or call activities for suppliers of new solutions and technologies based on prioritized challenges of the company's portfolio of initiatives; carry out activities related to participation in the development of roadmaps, survey of challenges, prioritization and definition of a portfolio of initiatives to seek technological solutions to adopt and/or validate in their operations, among other actions, where CNP strengthens Albemarle's capabilities as a technological radar and technical arm for piloting.
Meanwhile, the National Piloting Center will make available to the agreement the infrastructure for mining technological development and validation; access to the network of more than 100 university experts available for the development and validation of technologies, and to support training, training and technical assistance processes for industry professionals; reliable standards validated by the mining industry, and the link with the Center's ecosystem.
"In particular, for the CNP it is very important to generate and enhance its capacity to test new technologies in the ecosystem, and this agreement enables test sites in non-metallic lithium mining with the help of Albermarle, especially in places as relevant as the Salar de Atacama and the La Negra chemical plant," said the CNP executive.
The relationship between the two institutions will be managed by a work team, with specific governance and joint work mechanisms, which will allow effective management of the portfolio of current and future initiatives.