Buenos Aires — Last week, Argentina’s President Alberto Fernández visited the first Argentine lithium cells and batteries manufacturing plant belonging to Y-TEC, a company that is part of state-owned energy giant YPF, and which will produce its first pilot models of lithium batteries in December, after taking delivery of components in October.
A testament to this forward-thinking approach is the imminent launch of its premier lithium battery plant. This venture, realized in partnership with the U.S.-based Livent Corp, underscores Argentina’s ambition to be a comprehensive player in the global lithium ecosystem.
The plant will generate 15 megawatts per year, which means it will produce lithium batteries capable of powering 2500 households. The batteries are envisaged for use in rural areas. For example, there is already a Buenos Aires province-backed project to supply the Paulino-Berisso island, home to 70 families who are currently off the power grid.
Amidst this global trend, Argentina is emerging as a potential leader. Experts predict that by 2027, it will surpass established producers like Chile and Australia. Argentina’s lithium reserves, concentrated in the provinces of Catamarca, Salta, and Jujuy, are part of the renowned ‘lithium triangle’.
The battery project is linked to another, more ambitious one, that of YPF Lithium, YPF’s business unit that intends to compete in the exploration and production of lithium carbonate in northern Argentina.
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Battery of Leyden Jar "capacitors" linked together (Image courtesy of Alvinrune of Wikimedia Commons). Invention of the Battery. One fateful day in 1780, Italian physicist, physician, biologist, and philosopher, Luigi Galvani, was dissecting a frog attached to a brass hook.As he touched …