A program tailored to the industry.

Day 2 Schedule

1. 08:00 – 09:00

   Day 2 Morning Coffee: First Conversations of the Day

   Welcome coffee and early meetings ahead of the second day

   Day 2 of Lithium in South America begins with coffee and an open networking opportunity to resume conversations from the previous day, make new connections and facilitate engagement among companies, suppliers, institutions and delegations before the conference program begins.

   Given the pace of the agenda, continuous coffee service with sweet and savory options will also be available throughout the day in the areas outside the conference room.

2. 09:00 – 09:15

   Beyond Direct Lithium Extraction: Optimizing the Full Brine-to-Product Process

   Process integration, water recovery and efficient reagent use as key drivers of competitive lithium production

   As direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies move toward commercial deployment, optimizing the extraction stage alone is no longer enough. The presentation will examine how integrating DLE with water recovery, purification, concentration and lithium conversion can improve overall recovery, reduce freshwater and reagent consumption, and minimize waste. The focus will be on the decisions that determine operating costs and competitiveness across the entire process, from brine to final product.

   Azul Giménez Moreno Project Developer, Aquatech
3. 09:15 – 09:30

   Formentera: Progress and Roadmap to Production

   Exploration, resources and the application of direct lithium extraction in Catamarca

   Patagonia Lithium will present the latest progress at its Formentera project, including drilling and pumping results, resource updates, porosity studies and the planned program for the next stages of development. The presentation will also cover results achieved using Ekosolve direct lithium extraction technology and the company’s roadmap toward a future production facility.

   Phillip Thomas Executive Chairman, Patagonia Lithium

   Session delivered in English with simultaneous interpretation into Spanish
4. 09:30 – 10:30

   The Lithium Market from Multiple Perspectives

   Where leading market views converge and diverge heading into 2027

   After several years of sharp adjustments, the market is once again debating how quickly supply and demand can converge. Leading market intelligence and price reporting firms will compare their perspectives on prices, new production capacity, inventories, energy storage, battery demand, futures and price formation mechanisms. Rather than compiling a series of forecasts, the discussion will identify areas of consensus, key points of divergence and the signals producers, buyers and investors should be watching as the market enters its next cycle.

   Pedro Consoli LATAM Lithium Market Reporter, Argus Media

   Leticia Simionato Senior Price Reporter, Fastmarkets

   Fernando Sulca Senior Analyst, Battery Raw Materials Assets, CRU

   Moderated by

   David Guerrero Independent Lithium Consultant
5. 10:30 – 11:00

   Coffee Break & Networking

6. 11:00 – 11:30

   Rincón: Much More Than a Lithium Plant

   A closer look at Rio Tinto’s largest lithium project in Argentina

   Rincón is Rio Tinto’s largest lithium project in Argentina, with a planned investment of US$2.5 billion. Located in Salta, it combines direct lithium extraction technology, large-scale industrial infrastructure, international standards and local capability development. Its initial plant is already operating and exporting, while the expansion is advancing toward first production in 2028. With an expected mine life of approximately 40 years, Rincón is designed to be much more than a single plant: an industrial complex capable of operating and expanding for decades.

   Luis Hidalgo Project Director Rincón, Rio Tinto Lithium

   Moderated by

   Sebastián Penelli Journalist, Ámbito Financiero
7. 11:30 – 12:30

   What Comes After the Salar

   Engineering, technology, adaptation and technical lessons behind the major lithium projects and plants of Northwest Argentina

   Moving from resource to final product requires far more than deploying an established technology. Each salar presents its own chemical, hydrogeological and operational conditions, and much of the development process ultimately has to be resolved in the field. This panel will focus on the practical challenges companies encountered while designing, building and commissioning their projects and operations: technologies that had to be adapted or discarded, engineering decisions that required reassessment, the specific challenges of salar operations, in-house developments, tailored solutions and lessons that helped accelerate project stages or improve performance.

   The objective is to examine what brine-based lithium production entails in practice, its technical requirements, and the accumulated expertise required to move from theoretical or pilot-scale development to large-scale operations capable of supplying major global industrial and technology value chains.

   Carlos Galli VP Growth and Innovation, Lithium Argentina Corp.

   Adriana Bekerman General VP, Proyecto PPG – Ganfeng Lithium Latin America

   Ramiro Arancibia Engineering Manager, Eramet Eramine

   Moderated by

   Eduardo Isasmendi Lithium Operations & Engineering Sr. Manager, Alpha Lithium

   Angela Fasnacht COO, Princeton Critical Minerals
8. 12:30 – 13:15

   The Next Frontier for Lithium

   What science, academia and technical development are debating today across the lithium industry

   Lithium-related research is a key component in supporting the industry’s growth, with new questions, and new answers, emerging around materials, processes, efficiency, technologies and ways to make better use of the resource. The panel will examine the main areas of research today, the challenges drawing the attention of researchers and specialists, the developments that have made meaningful progress, and the questions that remain open.

   The discussion will also seek to identify which emerging areas could gain relevance in the coming years, where new technological disruptions may arise, and what the scientific and technical communities need to accelerate progress.

   Victoria Flexer Director, CIDMEJu

   Gabriela García Lead Researcher, CICTERRA-CONICET

   Federico Nacif Technology Transfer Promotion, InnovaT

   Sergio Bea Principal Hydrogeologist, Eramet Eramine

   Moderated by

   Ricardo Piethe CTO, Eramet Eramine
9. 13:15 – 13:30

   Cumulative Impacts in the Los Patos River Basin

   An integrated perspective on lithium mining, water and territory in the Salar del Hombre Muerto

   A presentation of the experience developed in the Los Patos River sub-basin, in Antofagasta de la Sierra, based on a study designed to assess the cumulative impacts of multiple lithium projects on a single water and territorial system. The work brings together environmental data, monitoring results, technical background and local participation to build a shared understanding of the basin and provide tools to support its management and ongoing oversight.

   Adriana Medina Consultant, LIPAT

   Teresita Regalado Minister of Mining, Catamarca
10. 13:30 – 14:15

    Argentina’s Mining Industry in the MakingClosing Ceremony

    Back to the provinces: a political perspective on the mining identity taking shape across the country

    Jujuy, Catamarca, Salta and Mendoza today represent four key jurisdictions in the expansion of Argentina’s lithium and copper industries. Their governors will close this edition with a shared perspective on how to manage that growth, set priorities and translate a greater mining presence into sustained development for their provinces.

    Beyond individual projects, the challenge is to define the productive model that can be built from the provinces, how opportunities and responsibilities should be distributed, and the role mining can play in Argentina over the next decade. A closing discussion with a nationwide perspective on a mining landscape set for transformation.

    Carlos Sadir Governor of Jujuy

    Raúl Jalil Governor of Catamarca

    Alfredo Cornejo Governor of Mendoza

    Antonio Marocco Vice Governor of Salta
11. 14:15

    Closing Beer & Bites

    Closing brunch, final conversations and networking in Jujuy

    The 2026 edition will conclude with one final gathering for participants in a more relaxed and informal setting. An opportunity to continue conversations, hold any remaining meetings and bring two days of discussions and business in Jujuy to a close.

    From 2:15 PM until the end of the event.
12. 15:30 – 17:30

    Lithium Roundtable WorkshopBy invitation only

    Working session of the Lithium Roundtable.