Lithium producer Orocobre suspends Argentina ops on Covid-19 infections

Australian lithium producer Orocobre temporarily halted operations at its Argentina mine over the weekend of October 24-25 following positive Covid-19 test results among 35 of its employees, it said Monday on October 26.

The company is cleaning the site and rotating staff, and expects to resume operations at the site this week, it said.

The stoppage is not expected to have a financial or operational impact, it added.

Orocobre said it has a bio-security plan developed in accordance with established national regulations and best practice approaches within the industry in the jurisdictions where it operates.

The Olaroz lithium facility is located in the Jujuy Province in northern Argentina.

The company earlier in October said stage 1 ramp-up works for it Olaroz facility would recommence in financial year 2021 with capacity expected to range 15,000-17,500 tonnes per year of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) by financial year 2022, depending on product mix between battery and industrial grade lithium carbonate.

Stage 2 expansion works at the same site were approximately 40% complete but were forced to slow down due to Covid-19-related restrictions, it said earlier this month.

What to read next
Key talking points from the 75th anniversary event of European steel distributors’ association Eurometal, held July 2-3 in Luxembourg and attended by Fastmarkets.
Mexico’s production and consumption of long steel fell year-on-year in May due to weakness in the country's construction sector, but posted a month on month gain, according to the latest data from the Mexican steel chamber, CANACERO.
Despite the current headwinds, strategic partnerships and continued investment in the right areas, coupled with the underlying strong long-term demand fundamentals, will pave the way for success for lithium producers, according to the participants of the executive panel during the Fastmarkets Lithium Supply and Battery Raw Materials Conference, which took place from June 23-26 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The US needs well-defined and stable policy around critical minerals, energy transition and trade, while derisking projects and maintaining good relations with other countries to be able to establish sustainable electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage systems (ESS) supply chains in North America, according to industry experts.
The US and Europe must adopt long-term, consistent policies and should learn lessons from China, according to lithium industry experts speaking at Fastmarkets’ Lithium Supply and Battery Raw Materials Conference in Las Vegas, US, over June 22-25.
Producers in Arkansas' Smackover Formation are advancing lithium extraction projects following recent regulatory approvals. Supported by oil and gas expertise and state incentives, the region is positioning itself as a key player in the US lithium supply chain.