At the first Salta BritDay, Governor Gustavo Sáenz highlighted the province’s transformation into one of Argentina’s leading mining hubs and reaffirmed its strategy of attracting international capital through legal certainty, predictability, and infrastructure development.
The event held on June 4 at the historic Club 20 de Febrero, brought together representatives of the British Embassy, the Argentine-British Chamber of Commerce, and business leaders to analyze investment opportunities in mining, energy, and infrastructure across Northwestern Argentina.
By Panorama Minero
As part of the first edition of Salta BritDay, organized by the Argentine-British Chamber of Commerce and the British Embassy in Argentina, Salta Governor Gustavo Sáenz stated that the province has undergone a structural transformation in recent years, driven by mining activity and the growing global demand for critical minerals required for the energy transition.
“When we took office, Salta was a province with minerals. Today, we are a mining province,” the governor said during the opening of the event, held under the theme “Strengthening the UK-NOA Investment Corridor.”
Sáenz noted that the province has positioned itself as one of the most dynamic destinations for mining investment in Argentina thanks to its resource endowment, infrastructure development, and an institutional framework designed to provide predictability for investors. In this regard, he emphasized that “trust is built through clear rules, legal certainty, and strong institutions.”
The governor also linked the sector’s growth to job creation, the strengthening of local suppliers, and the expansion of strategic infrastructure projects across the Salta Puna region. “Mining is not an end in itself. It is a tool for transforming realities,” he stated.
The United Kingdom and Interest in Critical Minerals
The organization of Salta BritDay reflects the growing interest of the United Kingdom in strengthening its presence within supply chains linked to critical minerals, lithium, copper, and clean energy.
The event was attended by the British Ambassador to Argentina, David Cairns, and BritCham President Gonzalo Ketelhohn, along with representatives from companies, financial institutions, and public organizations.
The United Kingdom continues to be one of the world’s leading financing centers for the mining industry through the London Stock Exchange and specialized natural resources investment funds.
The strategic relevance of this relationship also lies in the United Kingdom’s capacity to channel financing, technical services, engineering expertise, insurance solutions, and technological innovations for large-scale mining projects. Accordingly, the event focused on analyzing investment opportunities in mining, energy, and infrastructure, as well as issues related to financing, sustainability, and local supplier development.
Salta, One of Argentina’s Main Mining Investment Hubs
The province currently hosts some of the country’s most important projects related to lithium, gold, silver, and copper. In recent months, several investment announcements and approvals totaling hundreds of millions of dollars have been recorded, including the Diablillos silver-gold project, which was incorporated into the RIGI framework with a planned investment of US$764 million.
Meanwhile, as Salta BritDay was taking place, Argentina’s Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, announced that the RIGI Evaluation Committee had approved the second phase of South Korea’s POSCO Sal de Oro project at the Salar del Hombre Muerto, located across the territories of Salta and Catamarca.
This second phase will require an investment of US$208 million to achieve annual production of 23,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate. As a result, the total investment in the Sal de Oro project will reach US$547 million.
Closing his remarks, Sáenz called for deeper cooperation between the United Kingdom, Argentina, and the country’s northern region.
“Salta is prepared to grow, to build partnerships, and to welcome responsible investments,” he stated, delivering a message aimed at consolidating the province as a reliable destination for international capital and for projects linked to the global energy transition.
