Salar Tres Quebradas (3Q), stage 2 — lithium carbonate (LIEX/Zijin)
Tres Quebradas stage 2: plant and infrastructure for 40,000 t/year of lithium carbonate via direct extraction (DLE), per art. 1 of Resolución 1153/2026 (all stages combined target 60,000-80,000 tpa, projected). Mine life >19 years. The official announcement of July 2026 projected ~4,406 jobs across construction and operation and exports of ~USD 400 M/yr: the act records neither figure. Third Catamarca lithium project in the regime.
The projectwhat it is, the route, the owners, the works and the contractors
Who owns it
LIEX S.A., dedicated branch (subsidiary of China's Zijin Mining group) verif · Jul 14, 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
What it will need and has no supplier for yet
Civil works and high-altitude plant assembly (Fiambalá/Tinogasta, ~4,300 m above sea level)
highBuilding the 40,000 tpa plant next to the existing operation: peak demand for local contractors of the Catamarca Puna.
Heavy transport and Fiambalá-to-ports logistics
highDoubling output doubles the outbound flow of carbonate and the inbound flow of inputs (lime, soda ash).
- 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 — We have not built this project’s phase → demand chain: its schedule still has to be crossed with the province’s catalogue of markets and trades.
Get on board the takeoff
This week’s updates: proyectos RIGI, proveedores y datos verificados de Catamarca and new provinces as they launch. Free.
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
Jul 3, 2026 verif · Jul 27, 2026 ↗
The act’s articles, in detail
1 facts on the commitment
Liex S.A. Sucursal Dedicada, tax ID 30-71929244-1, registered at San Martín 280, San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca. verif · Jul 29, 2026 ↗
