Fénix — Phase 1B Expansion: lithium carbonate (Minera del Altiplano / Rio Tinto)
Expansion (Phase 1B) of the historic Fénix lithium-carbonate project in the Salar del Hombre Muerto, operated by Rio Tinto via Minera del Altiplano. It adds 9,500 t/year of capacity (to 38,000 t/year). Phase 1B already reached first production in Q2 2026, ahead of plan, and is still commissioning; the resolution sets that 60% of the amount earmarked for paying suppliers, goods and works goes to local suppliers (the act says exactly 60%, not «more than 60%»). The schedule the company announced —start toward Jul-2026 and works through Nov-2026— was overtaken by that early start.
The projectwhat it is, the route, the owners, the works and the contractors
Who owns it
Minera del Altiplano S.A. Dedicated Branch (MDASD, CUIT 30-71906845-2); operated by Rio Tinto (formerly Arcadium/Livent) verif · Apr 6, 2026 ↗
- The works, milestone by milestone — We have not built this project’s timeline. Dated milestones with their source close it.
- Who already has a contract — We have not surveyed this project’s awards. A published contract with its source closes them.
How to supply itwhere to register, what they ask for and what they will buy
How to become a supplier
We have not built this project’s entry map. It is our gap, not a prohibition: it closes by opening the provincial register and the operator’s single window.
What it will buy, and when
Each phase buys different things at different times.
Construction of the Phase 1B Expansion
under wayVerbatim from the act: «estimating a total construction time from the month of July 2024 to the month of November 2026». It covers the SA 1B selective adsorption plant, the PC 1B carbonate plant, brine wells, tanks and piping, plus a natural gas compressor plant in Olacapato (Salta). The USD 92,662,282 investment is executed entirely in the first year, with a Dec 1, 2026 deadline.
Operation
under wayStart of operation declared in the act for July 2026: it begins while the works are still closing out in November.
What it will need and has no supplier for yet
Civil works, carbonate plant assembly and pipeline/compressor station (Hombre Muerto / Olacapato)
highPhase 1B adds processing capacity and a compressor station in Olacapato (Salta): demand for electromechanical assembly and high-altitude works on an already existing operation.
Input logistics (lime, soda ash) and carbonate transport from Hombre Muerto to ports
mediumAdding 9,500 t/year increases the inbound flow of reagents and the outbound flow of product along the NOA corridor.
Get on board the takeoff
Tell us what you are looking for and we will reply. This is what we work on: proyectos RIGI, proveedores y datos verificados de Catamarca.
What it leaves in Catamarcajobs, works, taxes, promises and the outlook
- The works that stay behind — We have not surveyed this project’s permanent works. A published size with its source closes them.
- What it already pays in taxes and royalties — We have not broken down this project’s local fiscal contribution: the primary source that sets each item still has to be opened, and an act of the State is not published on press backing.
- Who promised what — We have not surveyed the public promises about this project. A dated, verifiable commitment with its source closes them.
What could stall itrisks and how to track them
- What could stall it — We have not documented this project’s risks. An identifiable vector with its source closes them.
- How to tell whether it is advancing — We have not defined this project’s indicators: what observable fact marks its progress still has to be identified.
How we verified thisthe act, the gaps and the sources
The RIGI act, in detail
EX-2025-96020964- -APN-SCEYM#MEC verif · Apr 6, 2026 ↗
Mar 25, 2026 verif · Apr 6, 2026 ↗
The act’s articles, in detail
4 facts on the commitment
60 % of the amount earmarked for suppliers that goes to LOCAL suppliers verif · Apr 6, 2026 ↗
The entire investment amount earmarked for paying suppliers, goods and infrastructure works, during the project's construction and operation stages verif · Apr 6, 2026 ↗
1 December 2026 to complete the minimum investment amount. verif · Dec 1, 2026 ↗
Minera del Altiplano S.A. Sucursal Dedicada (MDASD), tax ID 30-71906845-2, registered at Intendente Lascano 2100, San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca. verif · Apr 6, 2026 ↗
What we could not confirm
There are 1 in this project. Each says why it could not be confirmed and what it would take to close it.
H-01How many people the construction employs and how many stay working in operation+
No RIGI admission resolution publishes the figure: the seventeen that are published state that the company «provided the estimate of direct and indirect employment of the Project with local integration» and do not transcribe it. The official RIGI portal publishes a single figure that adds direct and indirect jobs together and does not separate the two stages, and mixing them is exactly the error the `empleo` field exists to prevent.
