Foreign Minister Mondino participated in the inauguration of Eramet lithium mega plant in Salta

Today, Foreign Minister Diana Mondino participated in the inauguration of the lithium production plant of the "Centenario-Ratones project", located in the Puna of Salta, 3,870 meters above sea level and 290 kilometers from the city of Salta. The project, operated by Eramine Sudamérica S.A. (subsidiary of the French group Eramet and its Chinese partner Tsingshan) involved an investment of more than 800 million dollars by its shareholders.

Furthermore, Eramet and its subsidiary Eramine confirmed the project to invest 800 million more dollars in phase 2, subject to the implementation of the fiscal measures announced by the national government. This phase will consist of the construction of a second plant, located 70 located at a medium distance between the first two.

During the inauguration, Foreign Minister Mondino expressed: "the investments that are taking place in Northern Argentina will make it possible to significantly change the economic and social reality of this region so neglected for decades." Furthermore, she added that "the concept of federalism is beginning to work and be noticed. This way it is much easier and faster, both for a company and for a province, to make decisions that improve employment and the entire social fabric."

The "Centenario-Ratones" lithium project - which has an annual production potential, in its first stage of 24,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent ("LCE" ) - is the first in the province of Salta and the fourth project of this mineral in the country. It injected around 390 million dollars into the Argentine economy, through the purchase of goods and services from local suppliers and the employment of regional labor.

The Eramine Sudamérica project is based on a Direct Lithium Extraction ("DLE") process that allows optimization of the consumption of salar resources. Through this process, lithium is separated from other components of the brine, without having to use large evaporation pools. According to company estimates, during the production phase, the project will generate significant dollar flows since all products are destined for export.

It should be noted that Foreign Minister Diana Mondino and Ambassador Ian Sielecki have maintained a close working relationship with Eramet CEO Christel Bories and her team since December 2023, when Mondino and Sielecki traveled to Paris and met with Bories to talk about Eramet's vision and the desire to see them launch their first phase and a second with a new investment. Subsequently, in May 2024, the Foreign Minister and Sielecki held a new meeting in Paris with Bories and her team, to advance the exchanges that made it possible to make progress on the work ahead of today's inauguration.

Among other authorities, the Governor of the province of Salta, Gustavo Sáenz; the National Secretary of Mining, Luis Lucero; the French Ambassador, Romain Nadal; the Chinese Ambassador, Wang Wei and the Argentine Ambassador to France, Ian Sielecki participated in the inauguration.