Argentina has approved Chinese company Zijin Mining’s USD 709 million lithium project for inclusion in the investment incentive regime (RIGI), providing policy support for the Phase 2 expansion plan at the Tres Quebradas (3Q) salar. The expansion will directly double the existing 20,000 tonnes per year lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) capacity built in Phase 1; Phase 1 has been in the commissioning and production ramp-up stage since September 2025.

After the expansion is completed, the annual LCE capacity of the Tres Quebradas salar project will increase to 40,000 tonnes. Phase 2 has now obtained construction permits, and the supporting environmental impact assessment (EIA) report has also been approved by the Catamarca provincial government.

The project is operated and managed by Zijin Mining’s local subsidiary Liex, with related construction works distributed in areas around the Tres Quebradas salar in Catamarca province and within the industrial park in the town of Fiambalá.

The planned construction content includes brine extraction wells, transmission pipelines, purification systems, mine roads, supporting pipelines, industrial auxiliary facilities, flood prevention and drainage systems, and other various supporting infrastructure works. Argentine Economy Minister Luis Caputo announced the news via social platform X and said that Zijin Mining’s project can create 4,406 direct and indirect jobs throughout the construction and operation cycle.

Officials also highlighted the resource reserves and development potential of the Tres Quebradas salar project, saying that existing resource reserves can support continuous mining for more than 19 years.

The economy minister said: “Once the project is put into production, it will generate about USD 400 million in export revenue each year.” The Ministry of Economy is responsible for approving projects under the RIGI incentive policy framework.

The investment incentive policy has a term of 30 years and provides investors with multiple benefits, including a reduced income tax rate, and the ability to freely dispose of foreign exchange earned from exports starting from the third year of production.

Zijin Mining’s overall strategic layout
Tres Quebradas is one of Zijin Mining’s four major global lithium resource assets and its only lithium project in South America, serving as a core pillar of the company’s strategic goal of becoming a leading global lithium raw material supplier.

Zijin Mining plans to reach total global LCE capacity of 270,000–320,000 tonnes per year by 2028.

As part of its long-term development strategy, Zijin Mining has launched planning for Phase 3 expansion at Tres Quebradas, which will introduce direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology to ensure the project’s annual LCE capacity of no less than 50,000 tonnes.

Zijin Mining holds mining concessions covering the entire Tres Quebradas salar, with proven LCE resources of 8.42 million tonnes and brine lithium concentration of 768 mg/L.

Using brine evaporation technology, Tres Quebradas produced 5,800 tonnes LCE in 2025, in line with the preset targets for the capacity ramp-up stage.