The first concrete pouring of the future lithium production plant took place in early May in Argentina. A new step before the delivery of the site scheduled for the end of 2023 and the launch of production in early 2024.
The Group’s Lithium Project is moving forward with the construction of the production plant in Argentina: the first volumes of concrete, out of a total of 17,500 m3, were poured in May on the Centenario-Ratones salar, and will allow the assembly of the plant’s 5,900 tons of metal structures.
To achieve this, 350 builders are currently working on the site, and 1,000 are expected by the end of the year, at the peak of construction. Teams from Eramet and its Chinese partner Tsingshan are on hand to supervise the 1,000 workers on site and ensure that operations run smoothly.
With a record of more than 2.4 million hours without a lost-time accident, the Lithium Project is a good example of the Eramet Group’s zero accident approach.
The training center is still dedicated to training new recruits and continues to improve the process efficiency rate: last week, a record rate of 97% was achieved, compared with an expected rate of at least 95%!
Delivery of the plant is scheduled for December 2023, and the first tonnes of lithium carbonate are expected in January 2024.
