Bolivia Chemical Energy Storage Project

Does Bolivia have a lithium mine?

Bolivia has large, lithium-rich salt flats, but its state-owned mining company hasn't achieved large-scale production. A group of Chinese firms is partnering with YLB, Bolivia’s state-owned lithium mining company, to build a $1 billion project to exploit Bolivia’s large and mostly untapped lithium resources.

Where is Bolivia's first state-owned lithium carbonate plant?

Aerial view of Bolivia’s first state-owned lithium carbonate plant in the municipality of Colcha K, south of the Salar de Uyuni, in the department of Potosi, Bolivia, on December 15, 2023. (Photo: Jorge Bernal/AFP)

What is the Bolivian strategy for lithium production?

The Bolivian strategy is different as it aims at vertically integrating the lithium production networks in a direct and dominant forward perspective through a public strategy of industrialization of its brine and local production of LIBs. 4. Bolivia, re-embedding the GPN and social upgrading 29 4.1.

Can lithium be used as a 'commodity' in Bolivia?

The installation of LIBs for universal access to energy in Bolivia, opens a new path of development. It takes lithium out of its “commodity status”, to be used as close as possible to the resource, without going through global markets.

Does Bolivia have a lithium mine in the Salar de Uyuni?

In June 2023, Bolivia signed a contract with Citic Guoan for the right to exploit lithium reserves in the Salar de Uyuni. More recently, on January 18, 2024, the CBC consortium signed another agreement deepening its cooperation in lithium exploration in the Salar de Uyuni, with an additional investment of $90 million.

Will Bolivian lithium project hit a target?

It’s unlikely the project will hit that target, says Andy Leyland, founder of the battery supply chain consultancy SC Insights. He says local opposition and changes in political leadership have stopped Bolivian lithium projects in the past, and those factors remain a challenge for this venture.