Published: May 29, 2025 | By: Minener.com Staff Canadian mining company Wealth Minerals has announced it will transfer a 5% ownership stake in its Kuska lithium carbonate project to the Indigenous community of Ollagüe in Chile’s Antofagasta region. The agreement also grants the community the right to appoint one of the five members of the
Rio Tinto’s Rincón de Litio becomes Argentina’s first mining project approved under the RIGI incentives. Backed by a $2.7B investment, it will produce 60,000 tons of lithium annually in Salta.
A Chilean congressional committee has recommended annulling the Codelco–SQM lithium partnership, citing lack of transparency, disproportionate profit distribution, and fiscal risks that could cost the state over US$11 billion. The decision intensifies scrutiny of Chile’s flagship lithium policy.
Codelco and Rio Tinto will jointly develop a lithium project in Chile’s Salar de Maricunga, with investments of up to $900 million and a shared vision to deploy sustainable direct lithium extraction technologies.
Despite high-level optimism, the SQM-Codelco lithium partnership faces major hurdles, including regulatory scrutiny over potassium offtake and potential legal actions from Chilean stakeholders.
Argentina celebrates Mining Day with record exports and US$33B in projected investment. The industry calls for RIGI approval and infrastructure reform ahead of Arminera 2025.
China’s embassy in Chile refutes claims that BYD and Tsingshan have pulled out of lithium projects, reaffirming Chinese interest in Chile’s lithium strategy and bilateral cooperation.
The withdrawal of Chinese companies BYD and Tsingshan from Chilean lithium projects highlights serious bureaucratic and policy failures in the government’s lithium strategy, despite official efforts to downplay the setback.
Two major Chinese companies, BYD and Tsingshan, have pulled out of lithium industrialization projects in northern Chile, citing market shifts and bureaucratic delays.
The global mining industry has entered a transformative era in 2025, driven by the twin forces of resource scarcity and the green energy transition. From copper and lithium powering electric vehicles, to iron ore and coal still dominating industrial output in many regions, the world’s largest mining companies play a pivotal role in shaping the