The project is located in the province of Salta and is operated by Rio Tinto.
By Panorama Minero
The first day of Arminera, Tuesday, May 21, marked the occasion when the National Secretary of Energy and Mining Coordination, Daniel González, announced the approval of the first mining project under the Large Investment Incentive Regime, commonly known as RIGI.
The Rincón Lithium project, located in the Rincón salt flat in the province of Salta and managed by Rio Tinto, received approval for its venture valued at approximately US$$2.5 billion — an investment initially announced in December 2024.
Rincon’s capacity of 60,000 tonnes of battery grade lithium carbonate per year is comprised of the 3,000-tonne starter plant and 57,000-tonne expansion plant. The project consists of brine extraction using a production wellfield, processing as well as associated infrastructure. The project uses direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology.
Rio Tinto, the world’s second-largest mining company by market capitalization, has deepened its involvement in the lithium sector, particularly in Argentina. In addition to the Rincón Lithium project, the company acquired Arcadium Lithium for US$$6.7 billion. This acquisition includes the Fénix (Catamarca Province) and Olaroz (Jujuy Province) production facilities, as well as the Sal de Vida project (Catamarca Province), which is currently under construction.
