The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is the world's largest salt flat at 10,582 [km.sup.2] (4085 [mi.sup.2]), and home to half the world's lithium reserves. Unfortunately for Bolivia, it lacks the expertise to even begin to compete with Chile and Argentina, which together account for more than half the world's 27,400 t (30,200 tons) of annual lithium production. China and Australia also are major producers.
As a result, several multinationals, including the French Bollore Group and Japan's Sumitomo Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp., are vying to extract the metal from the remote salt flat. Bolivian President Evo Morales says he's ready to sink some $200 million into mining the lithium, but he's also insisting on requirements that could turn potential partners away.
Since his 2005 election, Morales has secured for Bolivians the bulk of profits from their natural gas--South America's second-largest known deposits after Venezuela's. Now he sees lithium as a way to create an industrial economy.
"The state doesn't see ever losing sovereignty over the lithium," Morales told reporters. "Who-ever wants to invest in it should be assured that the state must have control of 60% of the earnings."
A $6 million pilot project managed by Comibol, Bolivia's state-owned mining company, plans to begin some production next year. To accelerate the process, the country has asked the three current suitors to join a "scientific committee" to determine how best to mine the lithium.
This story is based on "Bolivia pins hopes on lithium, electric vehicles," by Associated Press writers Frank Bajak and Carlos Valdez. The original story is available at http://news.yahoo.com.
COPYRIGHT 2009 ASM International
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