What is the main technological shift Novandino Litio is implementing at the Atacama salt flat, and why is it considered significant?

Novandino Litio is advancing toward commercial operations of direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies to recover lithium from brine at the Atacama salt flat, replacing parts of the traditional evaporation method. DLE is described as cleaner and faster than evaporation—which uses vast quantities of brine in open ponds in one of Earth’s driest regions—and includes brine reinjection to preserve hydrological and geochemical balance. Its success in the Atacama is considered a high-stakes global proving ground because large-scale commercial DLE remains largely unproven, and validation there would help de-risk the technology worldwide.

What is the current status of the Salar Futuro project, including timeline, budget, and decision-making stage?

The Salar Futuro project—Novandino Litio’s DLE initiative—is scheduled to submit an environmental impact study to regulators in June, with construction planned toward the end of the decade and full implementation extending into the mid-2030s, subject to environmental and other permits. The budget has been raised to $3 billion, up from a previous guidance of '$2 billion-plus', though Novandino has not yet made a final investment decision. The project will gradually replace part of the traditional evaporation system while retaining some ponds for potassium production and pre-concentration, and freshwater extraction will eventually end.

Codelco and SQM Budget $3 Billion for Lithium Project in Chile

May 26, 2026

Codelco and SQM plan to invest $3 billion in their Novandino joint venture to deploy direct lithium extraction technology in Chile's Atacama Desert. Construction aims to begin by the late 2020s pending environmental permits.

bloomberg

2026-05-20

Codelco Eyes $2 Billion Gain From Unifying Copper Mines in Chile

2026-05-26

Codelco and SQM Budget $3 Billion for Lithium Project in Chile

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