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The U.S. government has identified lithium as a critical mineral for renewable energy technologies, including electric vehicles, and raised concerns about supply chain vulnerabilities, such as increasing Chinese control over global lithium production. With more than half of the planet鈥檚 lithium resources, South America鈥檚 Lithium Triangle 鈥� Argentina, Bolivia and Chile 鈥� will play a critical role in the renewable energy transition in the United States.

So far, however, lithium production in Latin America is not on pace to meet skyrocketing demand. Rising lithium prices are attracting greater investment, but many investors remain skittish, discouraged by resource nationalism and the unpredictable political environment. What role should the U.S. government play in improving the investment climate in the Lithium Triangle? How can the U.S. government channel greater private sector investment to lithium production in Latin America? What role should U.S. battery producers and electric vehicle manufacturers play in assuring adequate supplies of lithium from Latin America and addressing social and environmental considerations?

Selected Quotes

Helaina Matza

鈥淭he administration is very aware that this is a pivotal moment as we start to tackle the climate crisis. It is not just a challenge for future generations, but a challenge of today. And the president has been clear since his first [Leaders Summit on Climate] in April鈥� that we鈥檙e at an inflection point and have the ability to invest in ourselves and build an equable clean energy future. We know that we don鈥檛 have time to waste. And lithium, as well as other minerals like cobalt, nickel, and rare earths, are necessary for us to realize the energy transition away from unabated fossil fuels into the decarbonized energy future. Our ability to deploy clean energy technologies like EVs, large scale battery storage, and wind power depends immensely on these minerals. And there has been a lot of work done at home through our executive order on American supply chains, and the four critical supply chains, including large scale batteries, and our work on critical mineral inputs that weigh heavily on our ability to address this challenge.

But that鈥檚 not just at home. A big part of this will be working with allies and partners. Latin America has some of the most abundant concentrations of energy minerals, especially lithium. The region will be a key player moving forward as we work together. And the growing clean energy mineral trade presents economic opportunities for countries in the region that can also benefit the citizens in both those supply and demand countries. So, in short, the U.S. is working with Latin American countries on developing that regional supply chain.鈥�

Stephen Promnitz

鈥淚 do think that water is critical. I also think that the impact on the land surface is important.鈥� But just lowering your overall water usage is, I think, a key aspect. Naturally, people are concerned, and the only way to allay those concerns is to clearly enunciate that, have it supported across different levels. And I think that U.S. collaboration with showing how to do these sorts of international environmental and social impact assessments is important. Because we have export credit agency funding coming from the United Kingdom and from Canada, we need to deliver not just on provincial and federal environmental and social guidelines, but also around international norms, so that we can actually deliver on UN Sustainable Development Goals.

So I do think that water, and the same with power, being able to have renewable energy as part of your power mix, it doesn鈥檛 mean that it鈥檚 100 percent, but anything that you can do that improves that. Then we鈥檙e looking at supply chains and logistics. Unfortunately, that鈥檚 still a work in progress. But I think there will be some improvements in how we can actually truck and ship material with better energy usage in the future. These things then will engender more support from ESG investors globally; there鈥檚 been a large amount of equities that has gone towards that sector. And I think this is one area that can benefit from it. I鈥檝e seen it going to recycling, for example. And I鈥檝e said, 鈥榃ell, we鈥檙e supporting recycling as part of your whole lifecycle, but we actually have to get the raw materials into these batteries first, otherwise, there won鈥檛 be anything to recycle.鈥� And so it鈥檚 important that we have those ESG aims.鈥�

Jonathan Evans

鈥淚 know the resources in the U.S. and Latin America really well. We鈥檙e not going to be independent on lithium in North America anytime soon, if ever. And things like continental brines, [which] are the best resources, are in the Lithium Triangle.鈥�

Guillermo Calo

鈥淭he other point, I think it鈥檚 access to technology. I think the United States has a lot of development going on on technology. We are looking at lot at that knowledge. Logistics, supply chain, I think it鈥檚 another point, there鈥檚 some area for synergies there with the U.S. Most of the operations in Argentina are using soda ash coming from the U.S., that鈥檚 an opportunity to lower down costs, sending a product to the U.S. And energy, it鈥檚 another area where we can improve our energy matrix and our operations with renewable energy, solar. And so, I think a U.S. can also bring a lot of support, technology, and expertise in those areas.鈥�