Chile’s Lithium Resources See Significant Boost!

New studies of salt flats in Chile’s northern Antofagasta region reveal a 28% increase in total lithium resources, according to ENAMI (Empresa Nacional de Minería). The updated analysis highlights:

• La Isla Salt Flat: 2.13 million metric tons of lithium (+150% from prior estimates).

• Aguilar Salt Flat: Just under 1 million metric tons (+40%).

Together, these findings add an impressive 3.05 million tons of lithium to Chile’s resource base, bringing the total to 14 million tons—up from the U.S. Geological Survey’s previous estimate of 11 million tons.

Key findings

This discovery strengthened Chile’s position as the world’s number one holder of lithium reserves (9.3 million tons) and the second-largest global producer. The Atacama salt flat powers lithium production for state-run SQM and U.S.-based Albemarle. ENAMI’s Salares Altoandinos Project is gearing up to become a major player, with partners like BYD, Eramet, POSCO, Rio Tinto, and LG Energy vying to collaborate.

World class project

ENAMI head Iván Mlynarz Puig calls it a “world-class project” and with this data-backed surge in resources, Chile solidifies its role as a critical hub for the global energy transition.