By Dave Sherwood
SANTIAGO, Oct 8 (Reuters) – Chilean miner SQM SQMB.SN stated late Thursday it will instantly slash its use of each recent water and lithium-rich brine from Chile’s Atacama salt flat in a push to scale back the general influence of its operations.
The announcement comes two months after SQM misplaced a excessive profile authorized battle that compelled it to start once more on a plan to make amends for over-pumping brine from the environmentally delicate Atacama. The salt flat is house to almost one-quarter of the world’s present provide of lithium, a key ingredient within the batteries that energy electrical autos.
The corporate stated in a press release asserting its “Sustainable Improvement Plan” that it will voluntarily cut back its use of brine by 20% from November this 12 months, with a aim of slashing it by 50% by 2030.
“We don’t imagine that this brine extraction discount will have an effect on our near- or long-term lithium manufacturing,” the corporate stated within the assertion.
Hovering lithium demand has raised questions on whether or not Atacama can help present and future ranges of lithium manufacturing together with the wants of sprawling close by copper mines, a booming tourism business, and indigenous communities.
SQM, which has come below rising scrutiny by environmentalists, carmakers and indigenous activists in recent times, additionally dedicated on Thursday to “instantly” reducing its use of continental freshwater from Atacama by almost one-third versus 2019 ranges.
The corporate additionally pledged to supply carbon-neutral lithium by 2030 as half of a bigger, $100 million emissions discount drive.
CEO Ricardo Ramos stated within the assertion the sweeping new targets have been suitable with ramping up manufacturing to satisfy the anticipated spike in demand.
“There is no such thing as a tradeoff between being cost-competitive and being leaders in sustainability,” Ramos stated. “These are commitments that we assume out of conviction and voluntarily.”
(Reporting by Dave Sherwood; enhancing by Richard Pullin)
((dave.sherwood@thomsonreuters.com; +56 9 9138 1047, +56 2 2370 4224; Reuters Messaging: dave.sherwood.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.internet))
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