Scholarlink

<p>It is a frequent topic to comment on the investments required to launch a new mine. However, we very rarely hear of a nation´s heritage resources that are used to accompany such an undertaking. I am referring to the natural capital, specifically, the in-situ mineral resources which are still in the ground; the flora, fauna, and soils which will be disturbed due to earthworks and infrastructures; the water consumed, and, likewise, some other natural elements. The motivation of this paper is to estimate the value of the natural capital involving the factors already mentioned used in the exploitation of the entire Lithium plateau in the High Andes which can play an important role in governments and companies’ decisions on regard of sustainability development, especially in their opportunities and risks. In this paper, only the lithium element contained in the salt flat values is considered. Based on their tonnages, three classes of lithium deposits are set up (Major &gt; 1.000.000tLi, Medium &lt; 1.000.000tLi &gt; 500.000tLi, and Minor &lt; 500.000tLi) which involve, as a first approximation, 111 salt flats. Taking an average deposit in each of the three classes, extraction, processing, and lithium carbonate production activities are economically analyzed at prices of $US 10.000, $US 25.000, and $US 50.000/tLi2CO3 until the NPV of each average deposit as a function of the tonnage class and Li2CO3 price is determined. After these valuations, analysis turns to the sequence of engineering phases that allows these NPVs to be generated, that is, the phases of exploration, scoping, prefeasibility, feasibility, and approval. By tracing back, the economic contributions that each of these phases have made in pursuing those NPVs, the value of the last phase (Approval) is subjected to progressive reductions according to the successive contributions made by the previous phases until the first phase is reached revealing the value of the initial exploration phase which contains the value of the in-situ resources. Values of the in-situ lithium resources are obtained for each tonnage range class and at each Li2CO3 price. Flora, fauna, and soils are valued based on a “pilot area”. Commercial data gives water consumption. Results confirm the high value of natural factors participating in these businesses making transparent the relevance of the commonly ignored value of the natural capital, and demonstrating, in passing, that natural capital is a good indicator for distinguishing between projects that add value to the business from those that do not.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Towards sustainable extraction of lithium-bearing brine resources: role of natural capital in the High Andes business strategies

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年6月23日

查看全文
  • Edmundo Tulcanaza

摘要

It is a frequent topic to comment on the investments required to launch a new mine. However, we very rarely hear of a nation´s heritage resources that are used to accompany such an undertaking. I am referring to the natural capital, specifically, the in-situ mineral resources which are still in the ground; the flora, fauna, and soils which will be disturbed due to earthworks and infrastructures; the water consumed, and, likewise, some other natural elements. The motivation of this paper is to estimate the value of the natural capital involving the factors already mentioned used in the exploitation of the entire Lithium plateau in the High Andes which can play an important role in governments and companies’ decisions on regard of sustainability development, especially in their opportunities and risks. In this paper, only the lithium element contained in the salt flat values is considered. Based on their tonnages, three classes of lithium deposits are set up (Major > 1.000.000tLi, Medium < 1.000.000tLi > 500.000tLi, and Minor < 500.000tLi) which involve, as a first approximation, 111 salt flats. Taking an average deposit in each of the three classes, extraction, processing, and lithium carbonate production activities are economically analyzed at prices of $US 10.000, $US 25.000, and $US 50.000/tLi2CO3 until the NPV of each average deposit as a function of the tonnage class and Li2CO3 price is determined. After these valuations, analysis turns to the sequence of engineering phases that allows these NPVs to be generated, that is, the phases of exploration, scoping, prefeasibility, feasibility, and approval. By tracing back, the economic contributions that each of these phases have made in pursuing those NPVs, the value of the last phase (Approval) is subjected to progressive reductions according to the successive contributions made by the previous phases until the first phase is reached revealing the value of the initial exploration phase which contains the value of the in-situ resources. Values of the in-situ lithium resources are obtained for each tonnage range class and at each Li2CO3 price. Flora, fauna, and soils are valued based on a “pilot area”. Commercial data gives water consumption. Results confirm the high value of natural factors participating in these businesses making transparent the relevance of the commonly ignored value of the natural capital, and demonstrating, in passing, that natural capital is a good indicator for distinguishing between projects that add value to the business from those that do not.