GovernorGustavo Sáenzreceived this morning executives of the Puna Mining SA mining company who presented the progress of the high purity lithium carbonate production project in the Salar del Rincón, in the municipality of San Antonio de los Cobres, Los Andes department.
Puna Mining SA is a family business from Salta associated with Argosy Minerals Ltd., a company of Australian origin.
"The company generates growth in different aspects in our province, caring for the environment and creating genuine employment with local labor and in conjunction with the communities," said the Governor at the end of the meeting.
The president,Pablo Alurralde,explained that the project of the Puna Mining company is being developed in three phases and that it is currently in Phase II, "of production of 2000 tons per year of high purity lithium carbonate, with 170 employees, of which 97% are from Salta and with a high female participation”.
"This has a positive impact on the economy of the Puna, especially in Olacapato, Pocitos and San Antonio de los Cobres, which is where our employees are from," he added.
Alurralde announced that for Phase III of the project, the lithium brine extraction and production stage, an investment of more than US$ 200 million will be required and labor will be generated for more than 600 workers: 248 direct employees in operation and 400 indirect during the construction stage.
The Minister of Sustainable Production and Development,Martín de los Ríoshighlighted the trajectory of the Puna Mining company and its social commitment to Salta and to the Salta communities, "by involving the inhabitants in each one of the projects, so that the exploitation of Salta's mineral resources is not an end in itself but a means for people to be better, trained, with quality employment and at the same time respecting environmental sustainability”.
Also participating were Francisco Alurralde, CEO Puna Mining;Luis Sansot, operational director;Jerko Zuvela Manager Director Argosy Minerals;Francisco Durand Casali, Legal representative of Puna Mining and Rafael Moreno, operating director of Argosy Minerals.
Google translation:
0:00 the projection is during these two years
0:03 that come let's say produce the scale of
0:05 two thousand tons per year and this if
0:08 we obtained the approval of the study
0:09 environmental impact that is already presented
0:10 move on to the third phase, which is a
0:13 expansion to 12,000 tons per year of the
0:15 same product is currently in
0:17 phase two of this project we are 170
0:19 employees at 97% locally sourced
0:22 salteños and let's say we have a very good
0:25 proportion of female employment in the
0:29 total of the project receive from 30% to
0:31 be women in a mining activity that
0:33 let's say it is not characterized by that
0:35 activity and effect the impact
0:38 economy of these two thousand tons per
0:40 year for the province is an effect
0:42 important fundamental but it is an effect
0:44 important and for the development of
0:49 spillover of the economy in the localities
0:51 especially from the puna not the cape
0:52 where we have more than 20 employees and in
0:56 San Antonio charges them a lot too
0:58 employees will be an important effect
1:00 economy and of course also in the
1:02 pig province in the capital a
1:03 maining is a company
1:05 born in salta by salteño who has
1:08 developed from family
1:10 lurralde punctually the engineer Pablo
1:13 alurralde technology working
1:17 tirelessly for many years in the
1:20 lithium carbonate production
1:22 associated with australian capitals argosi
1:26 represented here by our friend jeko
1:30 are facing the third phase of a
1:33 ambitious project that will generate more than
1:36 10,000 tons of lithium carbonate
1:38 of the highest purity in our salar de
1:41 Corner based on techniques
1:43 developed and sustainable
1:45 environmentally and with a commitment
1:47 huge that we want to discard
1:49 with society not with our
1:52 communities and honoring that license
1:54 which is a great asset that
1:57 we must take care in salta doing
2:01 our people from each of these
2:02 projects so that the exploitation
2:05 of our mineral resources
2:08 not be an end in itself but a means
2:11 so that people are better
2:13 trained is forming resources
2:16 employees with quality employment and honoring
2:19 the environmental sustainability that today is
2:22 so important to take care of the common home that
2:24 it's our planet so we're very happy
(20min delay)
