China Union Holdings will acquire 80% of the Arizaro lithium project in Salta

China Union Holdings will acquire 80% of the Arizaro project in Salta, which is expected to produce 25,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate per year

12/24/2025 – 09:08 am

China Union Holdings agreed to purchase an 80 percent interest in the Arizaro lithium project in the highlands of Salta Province. The transaction includes six mining permits covering an area of ​​approximately 205 square kilometers.

According to available technical information, the deposit has 261,000 tonnes of measured lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE). The measured and indicated resources again amount to approximately 2.5 million tonnes LCE. These figures place the project in the group of lithium developments with the highest forecast volume in the region, known as “lithium triangle”, which consist of Argentina, Chile and Bolivia.

Features of the Arizaro Project

The project has one Pre-feasibility study The company envisions a production capacity of 25,000 tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate per year. The estimated useful life of the project is 20 years, based on the resources identified to date.

The same report provides: a Initial capital investment almost 1,055 million dollars for building the necessary infrastructure. The project components include processing plants, production wells, evaporation systems and additional work.

Stock structure and business strategy

After the operation, China Union Holdings will control 80% of the project Arizaro. Lithium Chilecurrent owner of the company, will retain a minority stake. The Canadian company’s President and CEO Steve Cochrane stated that the signing of the definitive agreement will allow the value of the Arizaro Project to be crystallized, return capital to shareholders and focus efforts on advancing other developments in Chile.

The transaction is subject to shareholder approval Lithium Chile and require approval from the relevant supervisory authorities. Once these steps are completed, China Union Holdings will begin planning the design and construction of the production facilities.

An expected date for the start of commercial production has not been announced at this time. No details about the opportunity were announced either work plans, Development phases or agreements with suppliers and contractors.

Regional context and projection of the sector

The Arizaro Project joins other lithium developments in the exploration, construction or production stages in northwest Argentina. The takeover by China Union Holdings strengthens the presence of international capital, particularly from Asia, in this sector.

Argentina is part of the so-called “Lithium Triangle”, a region in which a significant proportion of global resources of this mineral. In this context, Salta Province is positioned as one of the most important mining districts associated with the production of lithium in high-altitude salt flats.

Lithium carbonate is a raw material for the production of batteries electronic devices and electric vehicles as well as other industrial applications. International demand related to the energy transition and the development of storage technologies has driven the expansion of projects in the region.

Next Steps

Once the transaction is completed and regulatory approvals are received, China Union Holdings plans to advance the technical design of the Arizaro project. The phases include detailed engineering, construction planning and the definition of operational logistics.

The provincial and national authorities will follow the process under the Rcurrent regimes for mining activities that take into account environmental assessments, regulatory approvals and compliance with labor, tax and relationship standards with local communities.

The development of the Arizaro project expands the portfolio of Lithium company in Argentina and is being monitored by operators, authorities and suppliers to the sector in relation to the expansion of international investments related to this resource.