Delays in efforts to Bolivia by capitalizing on its rich reserves of lithium are being partly attributed to the lack of scientific experience in the field within the country.
Strong global demand for lithium carbonate for rechargeable batteries for cell phones and laptops has tripled its price in less than a decade to reach about US $6,000 per ton.
But a pilot plant scheduled to begin producing carbonate lithium research purposes in 2009 has been postponed until may 2012. And the first plant to industrialize the production of lithium – originally expected to begin producing lithium batteries in 2014 – has been delayed until the end of 2015.
Luis Alberto Echazú, Manager of resources the State Bolivian Mining Corporation (Comibol) desiccated, told local media last month (January 17) that there have been delays in the signing of contracts, as well as also technical, social and environmental challenges that explain delays.
But some experts also blame a lack of scientific expertise and to the slow response of universities to meet the scientific needs of the country.
Lithium reserves in Latin America
Argentina, Bolivia and Chile have about 85% of the world’s known reserves of lithium.
Bolivia has half of them, mainly in the Salar de Uyuni, but is failing to capitalize on them, while the Bolivian Government issued a decree in 2008 to promote the industrial exploitation of lithium.
Jose Bustillos, director of research and development of the national management of desiccated resources (GNRE) said that important progress had been made since then.
“GNRE was created to develop technology that allows to obtain elements of higher added value of the Salar de Uyuni, implemented a cutting-edge laboratory for analysis of brines and crystals, a Scientific Committee was formed, and was built a pilot silver for the production of lithium carbonate”, said.
But critics point out that production has not yet started, even in the pilot plant, despite the Decree of 2008 which committed the country to begin producing 40 tons per month of carbonate within a period of 18 months.
Juan Carlos Zuleta, independent analyst, said that Bolivia lacks the scientific and technological conditions necessary to industrialize the production of lithium.
High costs
Weather, geological characteristics and chemical of Uyuni have led to high costs of production, he added. The concentrations of lithium in the brine of Uyuni is equivalent to a sixth part of which exist in the Atacama desert in Chile, for example, and the Bolivian salar is subject to seasonal flooding.
These problems require innovative extraction processes, but Bolivia lacks experience in exploitation, extraction and processing of these ores, explained Zuleta, who blames the universities to not meet the scientific needs of the country.
Pedro Crespo, Vice Minister of science and technology, admitted that the dismantling of the mining metallurgical Institute in 1985 led to a shortage of experts in mining. “Not yet formed people”, said and urged universities to join forces with the Government to contribute to the training in the mining sector.
Enrique Velasco, executive director of the Foundation INASET (Institute of Social Welfare, economic and technology for industry), said that Bolivia will need better strategies, technological and geopolitical if you want to become an important player on the world market of lithium.
“It seems we have important shortcomings, not only in qualified human resources, but also in access to technology”, said Velazco.
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