[SMM Analysis] Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp.: Cauchari-Olaroz Lithium Mine Project Is Expected to Triple Production by 2029

Recently, Ignacio Celorrio, Executive Vice President of Lithium Argentina, stated that the company's Cauchari-Olaroz lithium mine project in northern Argentina is expected to achieve an annual production of 85,000 mt of battery-grade lithium carbonate by around 2029, more than triple last year's output.

Argentina is the world's fourth-largest exporter of lithium for EV batteries, and the Cauchari-Olaroz project is one of the six lithium mine projects currently operating in the country. Located in the so-called "Lithium Triangle" spanning Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia, the project is jointly developed by Lithium Argentina, listed in Canada and the US, and China's Ganfeng Lithium.

Celorrio revealed during a lithium industry conference held in Buenos Aires on Tuesday that the project's battery-grade lithium carbonate production in 2024 was approximately 25,000 mt, and is projected to reach 30,000 to 35,000 mt in 2025.

Under the offtake agreements signed with Ganfeng Lithium and Thailand's Bangchak, which provided project financing, 80% of the project's current output is exported to China, with the remainder sold to Thailand.

In August this year, Lithium Argentina and Ganfeng Lithium announced the establishment of a new joint venture named "Pozuelos-Pastos Grandes," aiming to integrate three lithium mine projects in Salta Province: Pastos Grandes, Sal de la Puna, and Pozuelos. After integration, the annual lithium production capacity of these three projects will reach 150,000 mt. Lithium Argentina is currently conducting a feasibility study, with construction expected to commence in 2026.