Rincon Project, Argentina

Rincon Lithium Project

SALAR DEL RINCÓN, SALTA PROVINCE, ARGENTINA

The Rincon Lithium Project – a large, low-cost lithium-brine asset located in the heart of the ‘lithium triangle’ in Argentina – will be a valuable source of rapidly produced, high-quality lithium for the global energy transition. 

In December 2024, we announced our investment of US$2.5 billion to expand Rincon, representing our first commercial scale lithium operation. Rincon's capacity of 60,000 tonnes of battery grade lithium carbonate per year is comprised of the 3,000-tonne starter plant and 57,000-tonne expansion plant.

The project consists of brine extraction using a production wellfield, processing and waste facilities, as well as associated infrastructure. We’re using direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology, a process that supports water conservation, reduces waste and produces lithium carbonate more consistently than other methods.

This investment follows our achievement of producing first lithium at the Rincon 3000 starter plant in November 2024, only 32 months after completing acquisition of the greenfield project. 

We’re committed to meeting the highest Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, leveraging our advanced technology to halve the amount of water used in processing, while continuing to grow our mutually beneficial partnerships with local communities and Salta province.” 

- Jakob Stausholm, Chief Executive Officer, Rio Tinto

Next steps

Rincon’s mine life is expected to be 40 years, with construction of the expanded plant scheduled to begin in mid-2025, subject to permitting. First production is expected in 2028 followed by a 3-year ramp up to full capacity, generating significant job creation and economic opportunities for local businesses. 

We're committed to advancing the project safely, meeting all regulatory requirements, and ensuring operational readiness on site. We’ll continue to engage with communities, the province of Salta and the Government of Argentina to build on the strong foundations developed since the start of the project in 2022.

Latest Rincon releases

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Lithium

Lithium is considered a critical mineral by many countries