China’s Ganfeng Lithium has started production at its $980 million Mariana lithium project in Argentina’s mountainous Salta province, Kallanish learns from the company.

Its subsidiary in Latin America says the commissioning of the processing plant in General Güemes is an important milestone for Salta and Argentina. The plant can produce 20,000 tonnes/year of lithium chloride, processing concentrated brine from the Lullaillaco salt flats.

Ganfeng started building the industrial facility in 2022, creating 11,600 direct and indirect jobs. The Mariana project, operated by Litio Minera Argentina, is located around 430 km from the provincial capital and is part of South America’s Lithium Triangle region, near the Chilean border.

To move the concentrated brine from the salt flat to Güemes, Ganfeng built its own railway station, transporting the feedstock using tank containers. The company also built an off-grid solar farm to power Mariana exclusively. The 120-megawatt solar park includes a 288-megawatt peak battery storage – all manufactured by Ganfeng.

“We are committed to sustainability and the energy transition,” the company says in a press release. “This is only the beginning.”

Ganfeng also has four other lithium projects in Argentina – Pozuelos-Pastos Grandes, Cauchari-Olaroz, Incahuasi and Sal de la Puna. Before the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, Ganfeng Lithium Group ceo Wang Xiaoshen met Argentine president Javier Milei to discuss the future of the lithium industry in Argentina. Local partner Lithium Argentina also attended the meeting and discussions.