Liex, Zijin Mining’s subsidiary in Argentina, recently commenced its Phase 2 Green Initiative. Employees of Liex have begun planting saplings in the desert that hosts the Tres Quebradas (“3Q”) Lithium Project’s plants and camps, breathing new life into the surroundings.
Situated in the desert of the Puna region in the Andes, the lithium carbonate processing plant of the 3Q project stands at an elevation of 1,500 meters. The area experiences frequent sandstorms. It has an extremely low annual rainfall of just 100 millimeters, yet an astonishing annual evaporation rate of 3,000 millimeters. These conditions have earned it the nickname “Home of Wind and Sand”.
Since taking over the project, Zijin Mining has demonstrated a strong commitment to ecological and environmental protection. It has forged partnerships with local educational institutions, tree nurseries, and contractors to select native trees that thrive in the desert and implement an efficient and water-saving drip irrigation system. To date, a 5-kilometer-long ecological barrier has been built.
The 3Q lithium salar has approximately 7.63 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent(LCE) resources. Phase I of the project, with a production capacity of 20,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate per annum, is scheduled for commissioning by the end of 2023.
Translator: Vivian Jian Reviser: Lin Xindi Editor-in-Chief: Wang Jie
About Zijin Mining
Zijin Mining is a leading global metals and mining company and one of the world’s largest producers of gold, copper, and zinc. The company has more than 30 large-scale mining operations and projects across 19 countries on 5 continents. Leveraging strong in-house research, engineering, and development capabilities, Zijin maintains high operational efficiency and low costs in both acquisitions and operations. This enables the company to be an industry leader in value creation, underpinned by its philosophy of pursuing development for all and sustained by superior environmental, social, and governance performance. Zijin’s shares trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX: 2899) and the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE: 601899).