Argentina's great lithium salt flats: a geography of the productive Puna

The Puna: the heart of Argentina's lithium

Argentina's lithium salt flats are concentrated in the Puna, the high plateau shared by Jujuy, Salta and Catamarca above 3,000 metres above sea level. This region is part of the so-called 'lithium triangle', which Argentina shares with Chile and Bolivia and which holds a large share of the world's lithium resources in continental brines.

Argentina's competitive advantage lies in the quality of its brines and in relatively low production costs compared with hard-rock mining. Since 2024, this has been reinforced by the Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI), which seeks to attract long-term capital to capital-intensive projects such as mining. As a result, the country has consolidated its position as the world's fifth-largest lithium producer, with a horizon of strong expansion.

Olaroz salt flat: pioneer of modern production

Located in the department of Susques, in northern Jujuy, the Olaroz salt flat was one of the first projects of the new productive wave. Its operation, run by Sales de Jujuy —a company integrating Allkem (now Arcadium Lithium) together with Toyota Tsusho and the Jujuy state firm JEMSE—, began producing lithium carbonate in the middle of the past decade.

The method applied is the traditional one of solar evaporation: brine is pumped from beneath the salt flat into ponds where, over several months, the sun and wind of the Puna concentrate the lithium before chemical processing. Successive expansions brought its capacity to tens of thousands of tonnes per year of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE).

Cauchari: scale and strategic proximity

Very close to Olaroz, also in Susques, lies the Cauchari complex, one of the country's highest-potential basins. Several developments coexist there, including the Cauchari-Olaroz project operated by the company linked to Arcadium and Ganfeng Lithium, along with ventures tied to other Chinese and local capital.

The proximity between Cauchari and Olaroz creates logistical and infrastructure synergies in a hard-to-reach area. The predominant production scheme remains evaporation ponds, although some operators are evaluating the incorporation of direct lithium extraction (DLE) stages to improve recoveries and reduce timelines.

Hombre Muerto salt flat: the historic deposit

On the border between Catamarca and Salta lies the Hombre Muerto salt flat, home to the Fénix project, the oldest in continuous operation in the country. There, Livent —now also part of Arcadium Lithium following its merger with Allkem— has extracted lithium from the salt flat since the late 1990s.

Fénix combines brine concentration with a selective extraction process that recovers lithium with a profile different from pure evaporation. Other projects, such as Sal de Vida, are advancing in the same basin, consolidating Hombre Muerto as a hub with a long track record and new investments.

Rincón salt flat: Salta's expanding bet

The Rincón salt flat, in the Los Andes department of Salta, is one of the assets that has attracted the most interest in recent years. Its ownership passed to Rio Tinto, which acquired the project with the intention of scaling up production and positioning itself in the battery minerals market.

Rincón is characterised by the willingness to incorporate direct lithium extraction technologies, which promise to shorten timelines compared with the classic evaporation method and improve water use, a sensitive resource in the Puna. Its development is closely followed as a benchmark for the transition towards more efficient processes.

Centenario-Ratones: the new generation of projects

Also in Salta, the Centenario-Ratones complex is operated by France's Eramet, which started up a plant based on direct lithium extraction at industrial scale. It is one of the country's first projects conceived entirely under this technological approach, rather than the pond scheme.

Its launch marked a milestone for the sector, as it demonstrates the viability of DLE under real conditions in the Argentine Puna. If results confirm expectations regarding recovery and water consumption, Centenario-Ratones could become a replicable model for future developments.

A geography that shapes the productive future

Touring these salt flats is, to a large extent, touring the map of Argentine lithium. From Jujuy to Catamarca, the Puna concentrates the projects that sustain the country's position among the world's leading producers and explain the growing interest of global operators and investors attracted by the RIGI.

The great challenge ahead combines productive scale, technological efficiency and responsible management of a fragile environment, where water and local communities are decisive factors. How Argentina balances these variables will determine whether its saline geography translates into sustained development for the region.