Rio Tinto has inaugurated its Fénix 1B expansion and Sal de Vida lithium operation in Argentina’s Catamarca province following around $1.4bn of combined investment. Both facilities produced their first material during the second quarter of 2026, ahead of their planned schedules, and are increasing output following construction and commissioning. Together, the two projects are designed to add 25,000 tonnes a year of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) capacity when fully ramped up. The opening ceremonies recognise completed project milestones, while their contribution to recurring production will develop as operating rates increase.
The two developments serve different roles in Rio Tinto’s Argentine portfolio. Fénix has operated commercially since 1997, and the 1B expansion is designed to add 10,000 tonnes of annual LCE capacity, bringing the operation’s total capacity target to approximately 40,000 tonnes. Sal de Vida, about 20 kilometres northeast of Fénix in a straight line, is a new operation targeting 15,000 tonnes annually. Its site is roughly 60 kilometres away by mountain road, illustrating the physical logistics involved even between projects in the same lithium-producing province.
The two sites also use different approaches to concentrating lithium from underground brines. Fénix employs selective adsorption-based direct lithium extraction, in which lithium is separated from the brine by a material designed to bind preferentially to lithium ions. After the lithium has been released into a concentrated solution, it can be purified and converted into saleable lithium products. This arrangement demands consistent adsorption performance, controlled handling of the liquid streams and effective management of the brine returned after extraction.
Sal de Vida concentrates lithium-bearing brine using solar evaporation ponds before processing it at an on-site lithium carbonate plant. Water evaporates from the ponds over an extended period, concentrating dissolved salts for subsequent chemical treatment and impurity removal. Pond conditions, inventories and residence times therefore influence how steadily feed reaches the processing plant. Fénix relies on adsorption-based separation instead, with a different set of process controls governing lithium recovery and liquid handling. The 25,000-tonne combined target represents the planned output of two distinct extraction and processing systems.
Production ramp-up now places different operational demands on the two sites. At Fénix, the new capacity must function alongside an established process, making continuity of brine supply, equipment reliability and product quality central to the expansion. Sal de Vida must balance the movement of brine through its ponds with the throughput of its carbonate plant as inventories and operating conditions stabilise. Initial production confirms that material has passed through the respective flowsheets; sustained output depends on maintaining specified product quality through routine operation, maintenance and any necessary adjustments to process settings.
The projects also extend the manufacturing and service base around Catamarca. Their equipment, process consumables and operating services depend on contractors and transport networks serving remote production sites. Across its wider Argentine lithium programme, Rio Tinto expects around 70% of approximately $4bn in planned growth capital to be spent with local suppliers. That projection covers a portfolio of investments, rather than expenditure booked specifically against the two Catamarca openings, and points to the scale of procurement associated with construction and subsequent plant operation.
Fénix and Sal de Vida sit alongside Rio Tinto’s other Argentine lithium interests, including Olaroz in Jujuy and Rincon in Salta. The company is pursuing a global annual LCE capacity target of 200,000 tonnes by 2028. Delivery of the two Catamarca projects provides additional installed facilities towards that goal, while the ultimate production contribution will depend on their individual ramp-up programmes and the progress of other assets. Its latest ceremony follows the earlier first-production milestone and keeps attention on the physical transition from completed plants to recurring industrial output.
Lithium carbonate from these operations enters battery-material supply chains where chemical composition and consistency influence subsequent production. Impurity limits and dependable batch quality depend on the performance of purification and conversion steps as well as the amount of brine treated upstream. Producers may increase throughput as plants settle into operation, but product that meets commercial specifications remains the relevant output measure. Different recovery methods can yield the same lithium carbonate product while presenting different needs for maintenance, materials handling, process control and resource management.
Rio Tinto’s next milestones at Fénix 1B and Sal de Vida will be achieved production volumes and the reliability of their separate processing routes. The targeted additions of 10,000 and 15,000 tonnes a year would together provide the 25,000-tonne annual uplift once the projects have completed ramp-up. That additional supply will be determined by sustained performance across extraction, concentration, conversion and quality control at each operation.
