---
title: Lithium Brine Extraction at Scale
type: technology
url: "https://www.envisioning.com/research/stratum/latam-ex-brazil__ar-lithium-brine-extraction"
hub: stratum
summary: "Argentina aims to boost lithium production 75% in 2025 with $3B+ in investments across Jujuy, Salta, and Catamarca salars; CATL's $1.4B deal targets 30,000 tonnes/year by 2028."
---

# Lithium Brine Extraction at Scale

Argentina aims to boost lithium production 75% in 2025 with $3B+ in investments across Jujuy, Salta, and Catamarca salars; CATL's $1.4B deal targets 30,000 tonnes/year by 2028.
- Technology Readiness Level: 8/9
- Impact: 4/5
- Investment: 5/5
Argentina is the third vertex of the Lithium Triangle, with vast brine deposits across the high-altitude salars of Jujuy, Salta, and Catamarca provinces. The country aims to increase lithium production by 75% in 2025, driven by multiple projects reaching operational scale. CATL signed a landmark $1.4 billion agreement with YPF to develop the Salar del Hombre Muerto deposit, targeting 30,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent annually by 2028. The Salar del Rincón project in Salta ($1.2 billion) is projected to add 25,000 tonnes annually.

Argentina's extraction primarily uses conventional evaporation pond technology — pumping lithium-rich brine to the surface and concentrating it through solar evaporation over 12-18 months. This established approach (TRL 8-9) contrasts with Chile's push toward DLE. The Argentine government's 10-year lithium plan identifies dozens of projects across the three northwestern provinces, with a total investment pipeline exceeding $10 billion. Some newer projects are piloting DLE as an add-on to improve recovery rates.

The geopolitical landscape is intense: Chinese companies (CATL, Ganfeng, Zijin) are making the largest investments, raising concerns in Washington about Chinese control of critical mineral supply chains. Argentina under Milei has taken a market-friendly approach — no nationalization, welcoming all investors — which contrasts with Chile's state-controlled model and Bolivia's stalled state-owned approach. This open-door policy accelerates production but cedes strategic control of a mineral that will define 21st-century energy security.

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Source: Envisioning — Technology Research Institute (https://www.envisioning.com/research/stratum/latam-ex-brazil__ar-lithium-brine-extraction)