Hannover, 22 October 2024
Representatives from various Latin American partner institutions participated in a study trip to Germany as part of the TC project “Regional Cooperation for the Sustainable Design of Mining in the Andean Countries,” financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Germany’s Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR). The study trip took place from 13 to 18 October 2024 and focused on lithium extraction. The primary goal was to foster international exchange and share knowledge and technologies that promote sustainable raw material extraction.
The Andean region, particularly the border triangle between Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia, holds the world’s largest known lithium reserves. These reserves are predominantly located in salt flats (“salars”) with lithium-rich brine. Chile is currently the world’s second-largest lithium producer, accounting for 30% of global production.
The extraction process in Chile involves concentrating the brine in evaporation ponds, followed by refining the product into lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide. Meanwhile, Argentina has initiated its first lithium extraction projects utilizing Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology, which is considered more environmentally friendly compared to traditional methods.
As global demand for lithium continues to rise—driven largely by the growing electric vehicle market and the global energy transition—producing countries face the critical challenge of making lithium extraction more efficient and environmentally sustainable.
To encourage technological collaboration in the region, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) established the “Lithium Forum” in 2021. CEPAL, as a key regional partner in the TC project, along with the German-Chilean Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Chile), served as cooperation partners for the study trip.
The delegation included representatives from various Latin American organizations such as Chile’s Copper Commission (CORFO), the Argentine state-owned lithium companies JEMSE (Jujuy) and REMSA (Salta), and Mexico’s state-owned enterprise, “Litio para México.” Bolivia’s state-owned company, YLB, had to withdraw its participation at the last minute.
During the trip, the 18-member delegation visited several renowned research institutions, including the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). They also explored cutting-edge pilot projects on lithium extraction from geothermal waters, conducted by companies such as Vulcan Energy and EnBW. A notable highlight was the visit to K-UTEC AG in Sondershausen.
The trip culminated with a visit to the BGR headquarters in Hannover. During this visit, BGR presented its research projects on lithium extraction and mining-environmental sustainability. The delegation was given a guided tour of the laboratories, providing hands-on insights into BGR’s work. The visit was further enriched by lectures and discussions with BGR experts from the fields of “Geology of Mineral Raw Materials,” “Utilization Potentials of the Geological Subsurface,” and “Geochemistry of Raw Materials.”
Source – BGR, – e-translated and edited by Insight EU