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
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 process plant and infrastructure (40,000 t/yr)
under wayVerbatim from the act: «estimating the start of the construction stage for June 1, 2026 and the start of operation for April 1, 2029». Investment plan for the first two years: USD 107,537,000 and USD 308,048,000, with a Nov 30, 2027 deadline.
They are not buying any of this today. Open the phase to see the detail and arrive qualified the day it goes to tender.
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).
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-2026-14906968- -APN-SCEYM#MEC verif · Jul 29, 2026 ↗
Jul 3, 2026 verif · Jul 27, 2026 ↗
The act’s articles, in detail
5 facts on the commitment
60,26 % of the amount earmarked for suppliers that goes to LOCAL suppliers verif · Jul 29, 2026 ↗
The entire investment amount earmarked for paying suppliers, goods and infrastructure works, during that project's construction and operation stages verif · Jul 29, 2026 ↗
30 November 2027 to complete the minimum investment amount (art. 4). verif · Nov 30, 2027 ↗
594136000 USD verif · Jul 29, 2026 ↗
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 ↗
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-01The split between construction and operation of the 4,406 jobs attributed to the project+
The figure in circulation —4,406 direct and indirect jobs— is a single sum of both stages and both kinds of employment, calculated by the Ministry of Economy when it approved the admission. Resolución 1153/2026 carries no employment figure.
