Chile and lithium: an opportunity for a leap towards development?
🇨🇱The Chilean Government presented the National Lithium Strategy, an ambitious plan that invites both private and public actors to participate, but controlled by a state company. The discussion is open lithium in Chile.
The president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, announced the so-called National Lithium Strategy, an ambitious bet that includes the creation of a company fully controlled by the State, but that invites public-private participation. The initiative seeks to promote scientific and research development to give added value to lithium products, as well as guarantee the lowest environmental impact, and integrate the communities and indigenous peoples of the area. The idea, according to Boric, is to position Chile as "the main producer of lithium in the world." Chile, facing a great opportunity lithium is an essential mineral for manufacturing energy storage batteries, for example, for electric cars or buses. Its demand has increased significantly in recent years because it is presented as a key alternative to overcome dependence on fossil fuels and to combat the climate crisis. Chile has one of the largest lithium reserves in the world, and is the second largest producer on the planet, behind Australia, with 39,000 metric tons in 2022. The country, recognized for its copper activity, is emerging internationally as a producer of green hydrogen and wind and solar energy.