The Ministry of Mining will only deliver one CEOL for each prioritized salt flat or lagoon.
On September 26, the Executive announced the areas prioritized by the Strategic Council of the Lithium and Salt Flats Committee in which lithium exploration and exploitation projects can be developed in Chile.
These correspond to a total of six areas located in three regions of the northern part of our country, which are:
- Tarapacá Region:
- Salar Coipasa
- Antofagasta Region:
- Ollagüe
- Ascotán
- Atacama Region:
- Piedra Parada
- Agua Amarga
- Laguna Verde
For the selection of these six salt systems, priority was given to expressions of market interest in the exploration and exploitation of lithium, together with the geological and environmental characteristics that facilitate progress in the concession of Special Lithium Operating Contracts (CEOL).
CEOL allocation process
It is important to note that the Ministry of Mining will only deliver one CEOL for each prioritized salt flat or lagoon. To enable the allocation of CEOLs, indigenous consultations will be held at the end of October in the six salt systems.
Once the consultations have been completed and the decree establishing the CEOL requirements has been issued, public tenders will be opened.
In addition to the above, the process includes a simplified procedure to accelerate the conclusion of CEOLs in the six prioritized salt systems, guaranteeing the prompt execution of the most viable projects.
In addition, to access this procedure, companies or consortiums must have experience in the lithium value chain, financial capacity to develop the project and at least 80% of the mining concessions in the prioritized salt systems.
Those interested in participating in the simplified procedure will have until December 31, 2024 to submit a CEOL application for each salt system, attaching the documents that will allow them to prove that they meet the requirements, according to a resolution to be issued by the Ministry of Mining within the next few weeks.
Finally, once the requirements have been verified, the Ministry of Mining will present a CEOL model to the applicant. If there is agreement, the contract will be signed after concluding the indigenous consultation and issuing the supreme decree that establishes the requirements and conditions of the CEOL.
During the last quarter of this year, a second list of prioritized salt systems and deposits will be released. [More details]
For more information on the subject, you can contact our Energy and Infrastructure team :
Federico Rodríguez | Director | frodriguez@az.cl
Simonne Rojas | Associate | srojas@az.cl
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