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Chile gives Albemarle alternative to improve lithium quota by 240,000 metric lots

Chile's financial development firm CORFO on Wednesday stated it reached an contract with Albemarle to develop an alternative for the U.S. company to increase its production quota by 240,000 metric lots of lithium metal equivalent (LME).

The increase would raise Albermarle's production quota by near 50%, from about 460,000 metric tons of LME presently.

To access the higher quota, Albemarle would need to prove its capability to utilize sustainable technology such as direct lithium extraction, consult regional indigenous communities, and get ecological licenses, CORFO said.

The arrangement belongs to a settlement reached in April that calls for Albemarle to pay $15 million to resolve a. grievance made by CORFO in 2021 with the International Chamber. of Commerce (ICC), in which it argued the company had underpaid. commissions to the state.

Albemarle is one of 2 companies producing lithium in. Chile, which is the world's second-largest manufacturer of the white. metal utilized in EV batteries.

This develops a series of stipulations that let us. anticipate production with greater sustainability requirements in. the Salar de Atacama, CORFO Vice President Jose Miguel. Benavente stated in a statement, referring to the lithium-rich. salt flat where Albemarle operates.

The pact likewise outlines new terms for setting a. preferential price for producers of lithium products in Chile. CORFO stated the modifications were targeted at helping those business. concern an arrangement with Albemarle in a better way and with. higher flexibility for a long-lasting supply of lithium. carbonate.

Other terms from a 2016 contract with Albemarle remain. unchanged, CORFO stated, including the deal's validity through. 2043 and the option to acquire properties in the Salar de Atacama.

(source: Reuters)