Lithium Output at SQM-Codelco Venture Edges Out Forecasts
Brine pools at a SQM lithium mine on the Atacama salt flat in the Atacama Desert, Chile.
Photographer: Cristobal Olivares/BloombergSQM’s lithium partnership with Codelco churned out slightly more of the battery metal than forecast last year as the industry continues to emerge from a global glut.
The Nova Andino Litio SpA venture produced 233,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent in 2025, Chairman Maximo Pacheco said in a Monday presentation at the BMO metals and mining conference in Florida. That output was up from 2024 levels and compares with the latest guidance of “close to 230,000 tons” delivered by SQM in November.