Argentina to start battery cell production this year
Argentina plans to start producing battery cells for electric cars in September 2023. The production plant, built by the state-owned energy research company Y-TEC, will use lithium carbonate extracted from Livent in northern Argentina.
Nothing is known yet about the production capacity. “We will start to produce the first lithium-ion battery cells in the country,” says Roberto Salvarezza, president of Y-TEC. Y-TEC is a subsidiary of the state-owned oil company YPF. On top of the mining business, the government is trying to keep manufacturing in the country by using state-controlled companies.
The battery cell production is part of the government’s UNILIB project. The project has been in the works for twelve years. According to Reuters, Argentine Mining Minister Fernanda Avila hopes “it would be an example for future projects.” “The development of the supply around mining activity is a priority for our government,” she said.
In the automotive sector, developments in the lithium market are being closely watched; after all, BMW, Tesla and General Motors are among Livent’s lithium customers. However, they do not process the material into batteries locally but export the lithium for further processing.
Argentina is the fourth largest lithium producer in the world – together with Chile and Bolivia, the northwest of the country forms the so-called “Lithium Triangle”, where particularly large lithium deposits are located. According to Bloomberg, there are three active lithium mines in Argentina and 38 in the pipeline.
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