Chilean lithium energy storage power supply manufacturer

With this call, 57 companies have expressed interest in new contracts in Chile to explore and produce lithium. Chile will open tenders for the exploration and production of 400,000 tons of lithium to meet the high demand, the Ministry of Mining confirmed in a statement.

With transmission lines at overcapacity and permitting delays slowing the development of new grid infrastructure, battery energy storage systems (BESS) have surged as a profitable alternative for Chilean power producers.

Currently, the primary players in Chile's lithium industry are SQM, accounting for approximately 65% of production, and Albemarle, holding 35%. Both companies operate in the Salar de Atacama, where they control 34% of the world's lithium supply, equivalent to approximately 44 000 tons.

In addition, there are two fundamental reasons to consider lithium as a strategic material for Chile. The first is that lithium, in addition to its traditional uses from the last century, has become an essential energy material since the 21st century.

Another Chilean center focused on developing lithium technologies is the Advanced Mining Technology Center (AMTC), located at the University of Chile. Research has been focused on new sustainable technologies for lithium brine processing and direct LiOH production.

According to a December 2023 publication on the InvestChile website, the country had 23 approved energy storage projects with a total of 3,000 MW of capacity. Chile is exploring a variety of solutions to keep abreast of the changing energy demand landscape ranging from BESS to innovative projects using CO2.