POSCO completes upstream process of 2nd lithium plant in Argentina

POSCO Holdings completed the upstream process of its second brine lithium plant near Argentina’s Hombre Muerto Salt Flat on Tuesday, laying the groundwork for annual production of 50,000 tons of lithium hydroxide. The company invested $954 million in Plant 2, which can produce 23,000 tons of lithium carbonate annually. Lithium carbonate from the plant will be processed at a South Korean facility scheduled for completion in 2027. POSCO plans to develop Plants 3 and 4 to establish a 100,000-ton annual brine lithium production system by 2033.

Plant 2 will increase POSCO Holdings’ lithium carbonate production capacity in Argentina to 48,000 tons annually when combined with Plant 1’s 25,000-ton capacity.

The downstream facility at the Yulchon Industrial Complex in South Jeolla Province is scheduled to convert Plant 2’s output into 25,000 tons of battery-grade lithium hydroxide annually beginning in 2027.

POSCO Holdings acquired mining rights to the Hombre Muerto Salt Flat in 2018 after beginning development of its own lithium extraction technology in 2010.

POSCO Argentina became the first Korean company approved under Argentina’s Regimen de Incentivo para Grandes Inversiones, receiving corporate tax reductions and tariff exemptions.

POSCO Argentina signed a memorandum of understanding with the Salta and Catamarca provincial governments, which agreed to provide administrative and permitting support for Plants 3 and 4.

Published Oct 7, 2026 11:56 am KST

POSCO Holdings Chairman Chang In-hwa, seventh from left, and other dignitaries pose during a completion ceremony for the upstream process of the company's second brine lithium plant in Argentina, Tuesday (local time). Courtesy of POSCO Holdings

POSCO Holdings has completed the upstream process of its second brine lithium plant at the Hombre Muerto Salt Flat in Argentina, laying the groundwork for an annual production capacity of 50,000 tons of lithium hydroxide, eight years after acquiring mining rights to the site.

POSCO Holdings held a completion ceremony for the upstream process on Tuesday (local time) near the salt flat, located at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level. The ceremony was attended by POSCO Group Chairman Chang In-hwa, POSCO Argentina President Park Hyun, Argentine presidential chief of staff Karina Milei and Korean Ambassador to Argentina Lee Chong-hwa, among others.

"Since I became head of the new business division in 2014, I have personally visited sites to find salt flats suitable for lithium development. It is deeply moving to have overcome numerous challenges in the extreme environment at 4,000 meters above sea level and reach today's completion," Chang said.

"We will continue to proactively secure competitive resources, turn them into production and profitability and stably supply the critical minerals needed by national industries.”

POSCO Holdings invested $954 million in the upstream process of Plant 2, which has an annual production capacity of 23,000 tons of lithium carbonate. Combined with Plant 1's annual capacity of 25,000 tons, the company's lithium carbonate production capacity in Argentina has reached 48,000 tons annually.

Lithium carbonate produced at Plant 2 will be sent to a downstream facility scheduled for completion at the Yulchon Industrial Complex in South Jeolla Province in 2027. There, it will be converted into 25,000 tons of battery-grade lithium hydroxide annually, bringing POSCO Group's total brine-based lithium hydroxide production capacity to 50,000 tons.

POSCO Group began developing its own lithium extraction technology in 2010 and acquired mining rights to the Hombre Muerto Salt Flat in 2018. It completed Plant 1 in 2024 and began commercial production with an annual capacity of 25,000 tons.

POSCO Argentina became the first Korean company to receive approval under Argentina's Regimen de Incentivo para Grandes Inversiones, securing benefits including corporate tax reductions and tariff exemptions. In August, it also received approval for a $700 million short-term borrowing facility from IDB Invest.

POSCO Holdings plans to accelerate investments in Plants 3 and 4, each with an annual lithium carbonate production capacity of 25,000 tons, to achieve a 100,000-ton annual brine lithium production system by 2033.

POSCO Argentina signed a memorandum of understanding with the governments of the Salta and Catamarca provinces on the same day to advance the two projects. The provincial governments agreed to provide administrative and permitting support.

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浦项控股（POSCO Holdings）周二完成了其位于阿根廷翁布雷穆埃尔托盐沼附近第二座卤水锂工厂的上游工艺建设，为年产5万吨氢氧化锂奠定了基础。该公司在二号工厂投资9.54亿美元，该工厂年产2.3万吨碳酸锂。该工厂生产的碳酸锂将运往韩国一家计划于2027年竣工的工厂进行加工。浦项计划开发三号和四号工厂，以期在2033年前建成年产10万吨卤水锂的生产系统。

2 号工厂将使浦项控股在阿根廷的碳酸锂年产能增加到 48,000 吨（与 1 号工厂的 25,000 吨产能合并计算）。

位于全罗南道栗川工业园区的下游设施计划从 2027 年开始，将 2 号工厂的产量转化为每年 25,000 吨电池级氢氧化锂。

浦项控股公司于 2018 年获得了 Hombre Muerto 盐滩的采矿权，此前该公司于 2010 年开始开发自己的锂提取技术。

POSCO Argentina 成为首家根据阿根廷“大型投资激励制度”获得批准的韩国公司，享受企业所得税减免和关税豁免。

浦项制铁阿根廷公司与萨尔塔省和卡塔马卡省政府签署了一份谅解备忘录，同意为3号和4号工厂提供行政和许可支持。

发布于2026年10月7日上午11:56（韩国标准时间）

浦项控股董事长张仁华（左七）与其他贵宾于周二（当地时间）出席该公司位于阿根廷的第二座卤水锂厂上游工艺竣工仪式。图片由浦项控股提供。

浦项控股已完成其位于阿根廷翁布雷穆埃尔托盐滩的第二座卤水锂厂的上游工艺，为年产 5 万吨氢氧化锂奠定了基础。该公司在获得该地采矿权八年后，终于完成了这一目标。

浦项控股公司于周二（当地时间）在海拔4000米的盐滩附近举行了上游项目竣工仪式。浦项集团董事长张仁和、浦项阿根廷公司总裁朴铉、阿根廷总统办公厅主任卡琳娜·米蕾以及韩国驻阿根廷大使李钟和等出席了仪式。

“自2014年担任新业务部门负责人以来，我亲自考察了多个地点，寻找适合锂矿开发的盐滩。在海拔4000米的极端环境下克服了无数挑战，最终取得今天的成果，我深受感动。”张先生说道。

“我们将继续积极获取具有竞争力的资源，将其转化为生产和盈利能力，并稳定供应国家工业所需的关键矿产资源。”

浦项控股公司投资9.54亿美元用于2号工厂的上游工艺，该工厂年产碳酸锂2.3万吨。加上1号工厂2.5万吨的年产能，该公司在阿根廷的碳酸锂年产能已达到4.8万吨。

2 号工厂生产的碳酸锂将送往计划于 2027 年在全罗南道栗川工业园区建成的下游工厂。在那里，碳酸锂将被转化为每年 25,000 吨电池级氢氧化锂，使浦项制铁集团的盐水基氢氧化锂总产能达到 50,000 吨。

浦项集团于 2010 年开始研发自己的锂提取技术，并于 2018 年获得了 Hombre Muerto 盐滩的采矿权。该集团于 2024 年完成了 1 号工厂的建设，并开始商业化生产，年产能为 25,000 吨。

浦项钢铁阿根廷公司成为首家获得阿根廷“大型投资激励计划”（Regimen de Incentivo para Grandes Inversiones）批准的韩国企业，享受包括企业所得税减免和关税豁免在内的优惠政策。今年8月，该公司还获得了美洲开发银行投资公司（IDB Invest）提供的7亿美元短期贷款。

浦项控股计划加快对 3 号和 4 号工厂的投资，这两个工厂的年碳酸锂产能均为 25,000 吨，目标是在 2033 年实现年产 100,000 吨卤水锂的生产系统。

浦项钢铁阿根廷公司当天分别与萨尔塔省和卡塔马卡省政府签署了谅解备忘录，以推进这两个项目。两省政府同意提供行政和审批方面的支持。

随着全球竞争格局发生变化，浦项钢铁集团加快资源战略步伐。

浦项钢铁计划到2028年投资3.59亿美元建设汽车用钢厂。

浦项钢铁集团制定资源主导型战略，目标是到2035年实现1278亿美元的销售额。