Tenders for lithium prospecting, research at 11 sites expected in Q3 2021

The Environment Ministry announced on Wednesday that 11 areas have been proposed so far for the tender for lithium prospecting and research rights, which is expected to take place in the third quarter of next year.

In a statement, the ministry said that “11 areas are currently being proposed for lithium prospecting and research licensing,” without, however, specifying where those areas will be located.

The intention to carry out the tender next year had already been included in the state budget proposal for 2021, presented on Monday, but the Ministry of the Environment now said it intended to “launch it in the third quarter of 2021.”

This prospecting and research for lithium should be “of little impact on the land,” and will aim to acquire knowledge about “the existence of lithium mineral deposits, their quantity and the economic viability of their extraction.

The government guarantees that the tender will only cover previously delimited areas and excludes those that have environmental protection status or where an environmental impact assessment is already being conducted.

The tender will be launched after the new mining law and the strategic environmental assessment come into force.

The Council of Ministers approved today the new mining law, which provides for “higher” standards of environmental sustainability, the sharing of economic benefits with populations and gives more powers to municipalities.