SMM8, June 6: according to foreign media (Seeking Alpha), Albemarle said it was pushing ahead with a project to increase lithium production in Chile by 30 per cent rather than extracting more salt water from Salar de Atacama.

Luke Kissam, chief executive, said the company had successfully tested the process, ordered equipment and planned to start construction in the second quarter; the project is expected to go into operation in 2021.

Albemarle plans to produce 40000 tons of lithium in Chile in 2019, roughly the same level as in 2018, and up to 80000 tons of lithium a year by 2043.