Santiago, Tuesday, November 15, 2022.- With the goal of collaborating in the promotion of a "new era of lithium" in the country, Albemarle Chile announced important commitments in the production of this mineral, which seek to move towards a fair energy transition and promote the sustainable development of its operations.
In this sense, the mining company is implementing a series of concrete initiatives through which they are committed, among other things, to the search for new water sources, making it possible for desalinated seawater to reach the Salar de Atacama basin; in the use of non-conventional renewable energies from 2023; and in the research and application of new lithium production systems, with direct extraction technologies.
"We have been producing sustainable lithium in Chile for 42 years, generating social value for communities and our country. We are very happy to be able to move towards this new era of lithium, through innovative actions that will allow us to take concrete steps to face climate change, where lithium plays a fundamental role. Today is the time to accelerate the energy transition, which must be fair, and at Albemarle we are committed to that challenge and to look beyond," said Ignacio Mehech, Vice President of External Affairs and Country Manager of Albemarle Chile.
As a first action, they are finalizing the construction of the line that will link their operations to the National Electric System (SEN), which, thanks to an agreement with ENGIE, will allow, starting next year, to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, through the use of renewable energies.
Second, with the concern for the need to safeguard and protect the sustainability of the Salar de Atacama basin, Albemarle has committed to stop using its water rights in Tilopozo, Tucúcaro and Peine, leaving them for environmental conservation, once it obtains the respective permits to use Tilocalar as an alternative source in the short term.
To contribute to long-term sustainability, Albemarle signed an agreement with the company CRAMSA to make available up to 500 liters per second of desalinated seawater from 2027.
This supply would also make it possible to implement new methods of direct lithium extraction, through the use of innovative technologies that require the reinjection of brine, which has already been formalized before the authority.
All these initiatives were socialized both with the communities of the Council of Atacameño Peoples, as well as with local and national authorities. "We hope to be able to implement these measures as soon as possible, through joint work with the Government and the stakeholders of the territory," the mining company indicates.