MSR joins the international lithium market by incorporating battery grade lithium products in the value chain as the key component for alternative and renewable energy sources, contributing to the development of clean energy and a sustainable future.
Virgen del Valle Litio is a first class sustainable project created by Minera Santa Rita S.R.L. in a strategic location. The project focuses on the extraction, production and marketing of lithium and refined products.
The project is located within the renowned lithium trianglein the Salar del Hombre Muerto , Argentina, one of the salt lakes with the largest lithium resource in the world.
Salar del Hombre Muerto, Catamarca, Argentina, within the lithium triangle
1,134,199 tons of LCE with a projected life of mine of more than 40 years.
Cutting-edge direct lithium extraction technology.
Profitable internal rates of return. Very short capital recovery period.
CAPEX = US$ 10.000 t/LCE.
OPEX = US$ 3.500 t/LCE.
22 years of operational and logistics experience together with an extensive knowledge of the field.
One of the few high quality resources still available in the market.
The project’s highlights include: innovation in efficient production processes, minimization of water consumption, and the promotion of a sustainable future for the industry and the community.
Guided and developed by an excellent team of professionals, Virgen del Valle Litio is on its way to becoming a major player in the lithium battery industry in the world.
Virgen del Valle Litio is located in the Argentine Puna region. The Salar del Hombre Muerto basin is characterized by high levels of lithium and low levels of contaminants, which emphasize the quality of the final product.
In this salt lake, there are other successful mining operations, including the Livent Corp. project since 1985, and other large-scale projects such as those of Orocobre Ltd. and Posco.
This is a strategic location,for the company, not only due to therichnesses of its resources but also due to the availability of accesses and the proximity between the provinces, Salta and Catamarca where the project will be developed.
The Salar del Hombre Muerto basin has high levels of lithium. While the average lithium
in brine content is ~ 650mg Li/l of brine, some values reach 950mg Li/l.
The project has a lithium ore resource estimate.
with a projected life of mine of at least
| Área (km²) | Density (m) | Volume (m³) | Effective porosity (Sy) | Li (mg/L) | Brine (L) | Li (tn) | Li2CO3 (tn) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South sector | 7.847 | 260 | 1.775.740.000 | 0.09 | 1.670 | 80.534.312.000 | 119.486,65 | 635.669 |
| North sector | 5.971 | 300 | 1.343.476.800 | 0.07 | 965 | 97.052.764.032 | 93.656 | 498.530 |
MSR has extensive operational experience in the Puna region. In the towns of Campo Quijano and Olacapato in Salta, MSR has : roads, electricity, gas pipelines and fresh water supply. These production support plants are available to be used for the project. MSR also has a camp easement to house the workforce in charge of mining activities at its eight properties.
In addition, MSR hasan efficient logistics chain for the development of its operations. Its operational and logistics capacity is so extensive that MSR offers mining services to other mining companies in the area (such as Posco, Borax Argentina S. A. and Mansfield Minera S. A.) in their exploration operations.
Other essential components for the project include the storage warehouses and a top-notch analysis laboratory. All these elements enable the development of its main operations: the extraction of lithium brine, its transport to the production plant, and the production of lithium derivatives.
VVL Lithium Phosphate is a white, fine, crystalline powder. It can be used as one of the precursor components in the formulation of cathode materials for lithium ion batteries especially LFP (LiFePO4). LFP batteries, consisting of a cathode, anode and electrolyte, are one of the safest, most efficient and long-lasting batteries on the market.
VVL Lithium Phosphate can also be used in the production of porcelains and polymers
After an extensive research stage carried out by MSR’s team of expert professionals, great technical advances were made for the battery-grade lithium production process.
It is clear that there is a technological problem in the lithium brine industry. Traditional lithium extraction and concentration methods , using evaporation ponds have countless disadvantages, the most notable being excessive costs and long periods of concentration.
For this reason, MSR’s priority during the research and development stage of the project was to focus on the development and selection of a new technology strategy for direct lithium extraction.
Our technology for direct lithium extraction, which is in patenting process, manages to overcome the obstacles of the conventional production process and obtain better yields. Instead of concentrating the brine and eliminating impurities through the slow process of water evaporation in ponds, the technology developed in the MSR laboratory allows us tominimize the consumption of fresh water and energy, the concentration time and the impact on the environment.
This cutting-edge technology implies, on the one hand, the optimization of mineral and water resources, and, on the other hand the rapid and efficient selection of lithium-ion in order to obtain a high-quality and high-content product.
Energy and
water consumption
Lithium ion selection
Concentration time
Impact on the environment
MSR has devoted the last 5 years to the research and development stage of the project to perfect the exploration, exploitation, transportation, production and commercialization of this differentiated product. The results of this development exceed our expectations in terms of profitability and sustainability.
MSR has already completed and submitted the Environmental Impact Report to the authorities of Catamarca, and is awaiting approval to start the construction of its last pilot scale plant (1:10) prior to the execution of the industrial scale plant.
For many years, lithium was produced in small quantities for niche market applications, but the exponential growth in the demand for lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide for the cathode materials for batteries of electric vehicles is driving a new way to produce these chemicals.
At present, the, demand for lithium worldwide is growing by 15% annually , and a maximum demand is forecasted for the year 2025. MSR seeks to enter the market as soon as possible to satisfy this demand and is negotiating agreements with key players in the supply chain of lithium batteries.
At MSR we want to establish mutually beneficial relationships with companies that consume lithium phosphate, lithium diacid phosphate, lithium hydroxide, lithium carbonate, and other derivative products.
Mainly, we are looking for future clients to build our client portfolio. We are also interested in prospective buyers who wish to secure their supply through a long-term partnership. Since our offer is still open, we can participate in off-take contracts.
To finance the last stage of industrialization of our project and build a plant with a capacity of 20,000 tpa of LCE, we are in search of an even higher level of associativity.
If you are interested in our project and want to be part of it in any level of association, you can contact us by filling the contact form.
During the last twenty years, Minera Santa Rita S.R.L. has made significant contributions to the community through its boron operation With the Virgen del Valle Litio project, MSR will deepen and increase its support and assistance to the development of the communities in the area, in addition to offering jobs and training to the local workforce . In addition, the economy of the provinces will benefit from a national project of this magnitude, by reinvesting national capital in the country.
