The approval of LIEX S.A.'s project under the Large Investment Incentive Regime has again placed Catamarca at the center of Argentina's mining agenda. Governor Raúl Jalil welcomed the decision and described it as a positive signal for the province because of the investment volume, the planned production scale and the expected impact on western Catamarca.
The initiative involves a USD 709 million investment to expand lithium carbonate development at the Tres Quebradas salt flat in Fiambalá. The plan is to add a plant capable of producing 40,000 tonnes per year, along with infrastructure linked to brine extraction, transport, purification, roads, auxiliary facilities and the works needed to sustain operations.
Jalil connected the approval with a new stage for the 3Q project. In his view, the expansion means more production, more investment and new job opportunities for Catamarca, in an area where lithium mining is already one of the most relevant drivers of economic transformation.
The announcement was also presented as a long-term bet. The project is expected to create more than 4,400 direct and indirect jobs during construction and operation, while associated studies indicate sufficient resources to sustain more than 19 years of effective production. In export terms, the estimate is around USD 400 million per year.
The scale of the undertaking strengthens Fiambalá's place on Argentina's mining map. The plant linked to Zijin-Liex had already been inaugurated with an annual capacity of 20,000 tonnes of industrial-grade lithium carbonate, and the new stage aims to double that productive platform in a high-altitude area located about 4,300 meters above sea level.
For Catamarca, RIGI approval is not merely a financial fact. The province is seeking to turn mining expansion into activity for suppliers, services, shops and local employment, while consolidating itself as one of the country's main lithium hubs. The challenge will be to translate the investment leap into sustained territorial development, with verifiable benefits for western communities.
