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Overview

Lithium in Chile

Who produces, how much the country exports, who is allowed to extract and which salars come next. Every figure opens its document.

Today we track 11 authorisations in force from the CCHEN and 14 areas with a special operation contract (CEOL): 4 signed or in force and 10 in process.

The yearbook's figures

Lithium production

311.3kt LCEin 2025

Thousand tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent. Up 12.9% on 2024. SQM produced 236.8 and Albemarle 74.5; in 2020 the total was 123.9.

0100200300400202520242023202220212020
  • Total311.3
  • SQM236.8
  • Albemarle74.5

Source: Cochilco, Anuario Cochilco 2025, table 3.4.See table 3.4

Lithium exports

2,180US$ Min 2025

FOB value of lithium exports. Down 13.6% on 2024; the peak was US$ 8,843 M in 2022. 225,748 tonnes of lithium carbonate were shipped.

05,00010,000202520212017201320092005
  • Export value2,180

Source: Cochilco, Anuario Cochilco 2025, table 4.27, table 4.28.See table 4.27See table 4.28

Chile in world lithium

19.4%in 2025

Chile produced 56,000 of the world’s 288,380 tonnes of contained lithium and ranks no. 3.

The largest in 2025 · Metric tons of lithium content

  1. Australia92,000
  2. China62,000
  3. Chile56,000
  4. Zimbabwe28,000
  5. Argentina23,000
  6. Brazil12,000
02040602025202120172013200920052001
  • Chile’s share19.4computed

Source: Cochilco, Anuario Cochilco 2025, table 8.8.See table 8.8

Who produces

Thousand tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) by year and by company.

Who produces
Company202020212022202320242025Source
NovaAndino Litio (ex SQM Salar)81.3108.4152.9165.5206.5236.8Cochilco
Albemarle Limitada42.642.653.253.269.274.5Cochilco

Each company's own output. The country's total is the one the yearbook prints, above; nothing is added up here.

Who may extract: CCHEN authorisations

Agreements of the Council of the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission (CCHEN) on lithium. A quota is a regulatory cap in tonnes of lithium metal equivalent (LME) for a period; it is not output.

  • Agreement 2503CCHENDec 16, 2025
    In forceCCHENDec 16, 2025

    Salar de Maricunga SpA · Salar de Maricunga

    Authorized quota

    Figure being verified
  • Agreement 2496CCHENOct 28, 2025
    In forceCCHENOct 28, 2025

    ENAMI Litio SpA · Salares Altoandinos

    Authorized quota

    • 545,000 t LMECCHENOct 28, 2025 to Dec 31, 2060
  • Agreement 2490CCHENJun 24, 2025
    In forceCCHENJun 24, 2025

    Minera Tarar SpA · Salar de Atacama

    Authorized quota

    • 2,500,000 t LMECCHENJan 1, 2031 to Dec 31, 2060
    • 115,540 t LMECCHENJan 20, 2026 to Dec 31, 2030
    • 115,540 t LMECCHENJun 24, 2025 to Dec 31, 2030
  • Agreement 2470CCHENJul 31, 2024
    In forceCCHENJul 31, 2024

    ENAMI

    Authorized quota

    Figure being verified
  • Agreement 2465CCHENMay 28, 2024
    RejectedCCHENMay 28, 2024

    Atacama Salt Lakes SpA y Laguna Negro Francisco SpA

  • Agreement 2451CCHENNov 30, 2023
    In forceCCHENNov 30, 2023

    Quiborax S.A.

    Authorized quota

    Figure being verified
  • Agreement 2452CCHENNov 30, 2023
    In forceCCHENNov 30, 2023

    Sociedad Contractual Minera Copiapó

    Authorized quota

    Figure being verified
  • Agreement 2429CCHENFeb 27, 2023
    In forceCCHENFeb 27, 2023

    Albemarle Limitada

    Authorized quota

    Figure being verified
  • Agreement 2424CCHENNov 24, 2022
    In forceCCHENNov 24, 2022

    Summit Nanotech Chile SpA

    Authorized quota

    • 640 kg LMECCHENNov 24, 2022 to Dec 31, 2023
  • Agreement 2303CCHENJul 26, 2018
    In forceCCHENJul 26, 2018

    Codelco · Salar de Pedernales

    Authorized quota

    • 22 t LMECCHENDec 16, 2025 to Dec 31, 2060
    • 40,000 t LMEConditionalCCHENJul 26, 2018 to Dec 31, 2060
  • Agreement 2287CCHENMar 8, 2018
    In forceCCHENMar 8, 2018

    NovaAndino Litio (ex SQM Salar) · Salar de Atacama

    Authorized quota

    • 849,187 t LMECCHENJan 20, 2026 to Dec 31, 2030
    • 849,187 t LMECCHENFeb 27, 2025 to Dec 31, 2030
    • 620,000 t LMECCHENMar 8, 2018 to Dec 31, 2030
    • 100,120 t LMECCHENMar 8, 2018 to Dec 31, 2030
  • Agreement 2277CCHENFeb 27, 2018
    LapsedCCHENDec 16, 2025

    Minera Salar Blanco S.A. · Salar de Maricunga

    Authorized quota

    Figure being verified
  • Agreement 2283CCHENFeb 27, 2018
    RejectedCCHENFeb 27, 2018

    Sociedad Legal Minera NX Uno de Peine · Salar de Atacama

  • Agreement 2224CCHENMar 27, 2017
    LapsedCCHENDec 16, 2025

    Codelco · Salar de Maricunga

    Authorized quota

    • 325,045 t LMEConditionalCCHENMar 27, 2017 to Dec 31, 2057
  • Agreement 2206CCHENNov 21, 2016
    In forceCCHENNov 21, 2016

    Albemarle Limitada · Salar de Atacama

    Authorized quota

    • 540,240 t LMECCHENNov 21, 2016 to Jan 1, 2044
    • 262,132 t LMECCHENNov 21, 2016 to Jan 1, 2044
    • 35,000 t LMECCHENNov 21, 2016 to Jan 1, 2044
  • Agreement 2195CCHENOct 19, 2016
    RevokedCCHENNov 14, 2016

    Albemarle Limitada · Salar de Atacama

    Authorized quota

    • 540,000 t LMECCHENOct 19, 2016 to Jan 1, 2044
    • 216,000 t LMECCHENOct 19, 2016 to Jan 1, 2044
    • 46,500 t LMECCHENOct 19, 2016 to Jan 1, 2044
    • 35,000 t LMECCHENOct 19, 2016 to Jan 1, 2044

Holder and salar are shown as the agreement names them where we do not yet hold them as a company or a salar. An agreement may set several quotas, by product or by amendment: the latest comes first.

Special lithium operation contracts (CEOL)

The area, who it is assigned to and how, its latest milestone with the document that reports it, and the resulting status.

Salars and lagoons with a protection decree

The latest milestone of each protection decree at the Comptroller General. A withdrawn decree is not in force.

  • Lagunas BravasProtected area · Mar 12, 2026Withdrawn / not in forcefima.cl
  • Lagunas CollasProtected area · Mar 12, 2026Withdrawn / not in forcefima.cl
  • PisacasProtected area · Mar 12, 2026Withdrawn / not in forcefima.cl
  • Salar de GorbeaSalar · Mar 12, 2026Withdrawn / not in forcefima.cl
  • Salar de PedernalesSalar · Mar 12, 2026Withdrawn / not in forcefima.cl
  • Salar Las ParinasSalar · Mar 12, 2026Withdrawn / not in forcefima.cl

Lithium projects

The 8 lithium projects of the public tracker with a reported stage, investment or permit. The areas that have no project yet are above, in the contracts table.

All projects
Public mining projects, sorted by capex
ProjectSponsorRegionStageCapexSEIA / RCA
Ampliación de la Planta de Carbonato de Litio a 180.000 ton/año (SQM Salar)LithiumNovaAndino Litio (ex SQM Salar)SMAAntofagastaSMAOperatingSMANo data yetRCA · ApprovedSMA
Ampliación Faena Salar del Carmen (SQM Salar)LithiumNovaAndino Litio (ex SQM Salar)SMAAntofagastaSMAOperatingSMANo data yetRCA · ApprovedSMA
Ampliación Planta La Negra - Fase 3 (Albemarle)LithiumAlbemarle LimitadaSMAAntofagastaSMAOperatingSMANo data yetRCA · ApprovedSMA
Aumento de Capacidad y Optimización Producción Planta de Litio CarmenLithiumSQMCochilcoAntofagastaCochilcoOperatingCochilcoUS$987MCochilcoRCA · ApprovedSMA
Producción de Sales MaricungaLithiumSimcoCochilcoAtacamaCochilcoFeasibilityCochilcoUS$600MCochilcoNo data yet
Proyecto Salar de MaricungaLithiumMinera Salar Blanco S.A.CochilcoAtacamaCochilcoFeasibilityCochilcoUS$900MCochilcoNo data yet
Salar de Pedernales (Codelco)LithiumCodelcoCCHENNo data yetExplorationCCHENNo data yetNo data yet
Salares AltoandinosLithiumRio Tinto - ENAMICochilcoAtacamaCochilcoPrefeasibilityCochilcoUS$3,200MCochilcoNo data yet