Name of the Project
Sal de Vida lithium project.

Location
Catamarca province, Argentina.

Project Owner/s
Allkem (formerly Galaxy Resources).

Project Description
Stage 1 will result in the production of 15 000 t/y of lithium carbonate, with 595 385 t expected to be produced over the project’s 40-year mine life.

Stage 2 uses the same basis of design as in Stage 1 and will add 30 000 t/y of production, with project integration planning and detailed engineering to start immediately after Stage 1 milestones have been achieved.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Stage 1 has a pretax net present value (NPV), at a 10% discount rate, of $2.01-billion and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 45.5%. Payback from the start of first production is estimated at 2.6 years.

Stage 2 has a pretax NPV of $3.51-billion and an IRR of 50.3%, with a payback of 2.4 years.

Capital Expenditure
Development capital is estimated at $374-million for mechanical completion, with the Stage 2 estimated at $657-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Substantial mechanical completion, precomissioning and commissioning activities in Stage 1 are expected in the first half of 2025, with first production expected in the second half of 2025. Ramp-up is expected to take one year.

Stage 2 construction is expected to start upon the receipt of applicable permits and substantial mechanical completion of Stage 1, with Stage 2 production expected three years thereafter.

Latest Developments
Not stated.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Allkem, tel +61 7 3064 3600 or email info@allkem.co.