The world’s largest lithium reserve is in Bolivia and could be the “future” of the planet. The South American country ensures that it holds 30% of the global reserves of this material in its vast salt flats.
In this regard, a Russian state-owned company has taken the lead and reached an agreement to exploit the deposit. It is a salt lake the size of Asturias. And, at first sight, they appear as giant white pyramids.
This is the world’s largest lithium reserve
Bolivia took a significant step towards becoming a relevant player in the global lithium industry. It reached an agreement with the Uranium One Group from Russia.
This is a company owned by the state-owned corporation Rosatom. This alliance foresees the construction of a lithium carbonate production plant in the Salar de Uyuni, one of the most impressive and rich lithium deposits on the planet.
The project of these white pyramids involves an investment of $976 million and will use Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology. The aim is to achieve a production of up to 14,000 tons annually for batteries.
If these objectives are met, Bolivia would become the third-largest lithium producer in the world, after Australia and China.
Additionally, agreements were signed last year between the Bolivian government and Chinese companies CATL BRUNP & MOC (CBC) and Citic Guoan for the design and construction of lithium carbonate plants.
With 23 million tons of lithium, Bolivia has the largest known lithium reserves in the world, according to data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey. However, until now, these reserves had not been industrialized and exploited.
The Salar de Uyuni
The Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world and Earth’s largest lithium source. It covers an area of around 10,500 square kilometers, almost the size of Jamaica, and is currently attractive to tourists for its reflective surface, resembling a mirror.
Another advantage for Bolivia in this industry is that the material is in liquid form. In contrast, in other countries like Argentina, Chile, Peru, or Brazil, lithium is found in solid form.
This implies higher extraction costs, as pointed out by specialists. In this case, at an altitude of 3,656 meters, the plant will start its production in the second half of 2025.
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