Company: SQM
Filing Date: 2025-04-24
Form Type: 20-F
Source: 0000909037-25-000020
Chunk: 116

Company: CHEMICAL & MINING CO OF CHILE INC
Filing Date: 2025-04-24
Form: 20-F
Item: Item 4A
Chunk 116
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 salar system of the Salar de Atacama basin is typical of a mature salar, with a nucleus constituted by a thick section of halite (>90%) with sulfate and a minor percentage of clastic sediments, as well as some interbedded clay sediments and sulfates over a surface area of 1,100 square kilometers and down to a depth of 900 meters. Within SQM’s concessions, mineralization includes lithium and potassium-rich brine in porous media of distinct zones and depths of the Salar de Atacama nucleus.
Facilities
Our facilities at the Salar de Atacama are located 210 kilometers to the east of the city of Antofagasta and 190 kilometers to the southeast of the city of María Elena. At this site we use brines extracted from the salar to produce potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, and lithium chloride solutions, which are subsequently sent to the lithium carbonate plant at our Lithium chemical facility for processing. The main production plants at this site include the solar evaporations ponds systems, the potassium chloride flotation plants (MOP-H I and II), the potassium carnallite plants (PC I and PC I extension), the potassium sulfate flotation plant (SOP-H), the potassium chloride drying plant (Dual Plant or MOP-S), the potassium chloride compacting plant (MOP-G3), the potassium sulfate drying plant (SOP-S) and the potassium sulfate compacting plant (SOP-G). The energy used consists primarily of solar energy, as well as electricity, fuel and gas sources.
Our Lithium Chemical Plant site is located approximately 20 kilometers east of Antofagasta. The production plants at this facility include the lithium carbonate plant, with a production capacity of 210,000 tons per year, and the lithium hydroxide plant, with a production capacity of 40,000 tons per year. Lithium chloride (LiCl) solution is concentrated and purified in the lithium chemical plants through stages of contaminant removal (specifically boron, magnesium and calcium content) and conversion reaction to produce: technical grade lithium carbonate; battery grade lithium carbonate; technical grade lithium hydroxide; and battery grade lithium hydroxide. Electricity and natural gas are the main sources of energy for the operations of our Lithium Chemical Plant.
The following table provides a summary of the capacity of the Salar de Atacama production facilities as of December 31, 2024:

Facility                                  Type of Facility                                                                                       ApproximateSize(hectares)