Bacadehuachi Lithium Deposit Is Economically Feasible: LitioMx
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Bacadehuachi Lithium Deposit Is Economically Feasible: LitioMx

Photo by:   Alexander Schimmeck
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Fernando Mares By Fernando Mares | Journalist & Industry Analyst - Fri, 11/11/2022 - 10:45

State-owned lithium company, Litio para México (LitioMx) reported that lithium extraction in Bacadehuachi, Sonora is economically feasible. The announcement follows months of criticism from the mining sector, as many argue that extracting lithium from clay could be expensive for the government. 

Currently, there is only one lithium deposit in Mexico that has proven reserves: the Bacadehuachi deposit, owned by the China-based Ganfeng Lithium. In the past, industry experts doubted the deposit’s economic feasibility, as extracting the mineral from clay deposits is an underdeveloped and unproven method because lithium is more commonly found in salt deposits.

Nonetheless, LitioMx’s latest report stated the contrary and assured that exploiting the mineral from clay deposits is possible. The company calculated that separating lithium from clay would cost US$4,000/t, which means that the process is economically feasible. “[People] say that no technology in the world will allow lithium extraction from clay deposits… We must end this propagandistic myth that says Sonora’s lithium is not as profitable as any other lithium deposit in the world,” the Governor of Sonora, Alfonso Durazo, said in October. 

However, Ganfeng Lithium has not reported any information regarding the deposit’s future. Since it is not a member of any Mexican mining association, it is more difficult to track its activity. “The company will boost the lithium clay deposit’s construction in Sonora to make it a world-leading project in the field of lithium extraction from clay deposits,” reads the company’s website. 

Despite the optimism about lithium, industry insiders still think that it may take at least five years to see any profit; since extracting lithium from clay is a new technique, any potential project must first complete several studies.

The announcement of an economically feasible lithium deposit in Mexico has drawn foreign companies' attention, especially those from China. LHS Rock Tools, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of mining-related machinery, told Grupo Expansión that it is interested in looking for strategic partners in the region. The company said that even though its focus is on Sonora, it is considering investing in other regions like Chihuahua and the Bajio area.

Similarly, Chinese machinery manufacturer SANY said that the mining sector in Mexico could represent a 30 percent increase in its portfolio since open-pit mining projects are buying more of SANY’s products. “Here in Sonora, open-pit mines buy a lot of equipment, there is a constant movement of machinery and a lot of contractors,” said Efrén García, Sales Manager, SANY.
 

Photo by:   Alexander Schimmeck

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