Australian-based Galan Lithium has commenced full phase 1 pond construction at its flagship Hombre Muerto West (HMW) lithium brine project in Catamarca Province, Argentina, with the goal to deliver lithium chloride production in the first half of 2025.
The first milestone is to build, line and fill with brine the first pond of the system by Q1 2024. The pond will have an evaporation area of 205,000 square metres. Galan said its completion is a major objective triggering the start of a favourable evaporation path to production during the summer months.
“We have come a long way since our early days, considering Galan only obtained the original Hombre Muerto assets just over five years ago, and with all the delays experienced during Covid-19,” said Managing Director Juan Pablo (JP) Vargas de la Vega.
“This feels more real than ever for everyone at Galan. We will continue to give our best focused efforts to become a new lithium producer by H1 2025.”
HMW is located in the geological province of Puna, 90 kilometres north of Antofagasta de la Sierra. The first phase of the project is expected to produce 5,400 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) annually. Full production of HMW is projected to be 20,000 tonnes of LCE per year for a 40-year mine life.
Source: Galan Lithium