General tender for suspended lithium extraction
The process, which began in October, handed over to two private sector companies an extraction of approximately 80,000 tonnes of known reserves in lithium or Chile.
Left-wing President Gabriel Borick, who was elected in December, will take office on March 11 and presents his plan to create a state agency for lithium extraction.
AFP
The Court of Appeals for Copiapo in central-northern Chile on Friday suspended a public tender for the extraction of lithium, raising criticism against incumbent President Sebastian Pinera.
“It is agreed not to go beyond by disabling the procedure for awarding a call for tenders as the appeal against an action is fully implemented”, the court with its L AFP copy pointed out in its judgment.
Chinese companies BYD Chile SpA and Chilean Servicios y Operaciones Mineras del Norte SA each won a lot of $ 61 and $ 60 million on Wednesday, authorizing them to extract 80,000 lithium or 1.8% known reserves in Chile. Holds 57% of global reserves.
Left-wing president Gabriel Borick, who was elected in December, expects to take office on March 11 and create a state-owned company to extract lithium, saying the allocation process, which began in October, was a “bad decision”. “It’s a unique attribute of the Chilean government and (…) it reminds me,” he said, adding that the laws were “created at the last minute for a government to step down.” Award Announcement Prizes.
According to Mining Minister Juan Carlos Jobet, this is “good news for our country because it allows us to raise more than $ 120 million” and “regain our place on the world stage”. The defense petition, approved by the Court of Appeals, was filed by Governor Miguel Vargas of Copia and a group of tribal Aymara and Diakita communities living in the salty plateau of the Atacama Desert.
Although the tender call did not specify the extraction site to be selected after the soil survey, the major lithium deposits are found in the salt industry of northern Chile. Another appeal was made to the controller’s office by the center-left opposition, questioning the legitimacy of the tender process.
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