President Alberto Fernández received directors of the South Korean company Pohang Iron and Steel Company (Posco) this Monday noon, who announced the start of construction of a commercial lithium hydroxide plant in the Salar Hombre Muerto, in Saltawith an investment estimated at 4,000 million dollars that will imply the creation of 1,900 jobs.
“You can count on our support, in the provinces where they are working they have very good governors with a very realistic view of what Argentina needs”, affirmed the Head of State in reference to the leaders of Salta and Catamarca.
Meanwhile, the company’s CEO, Jeong Woo, stressed: “We are focused on businesses that are environmentally sustainable.”
“We give importance to both the environment and social issues, and our regional developments are with the creation of labor,” he specified.
During the meeting held at Casa Rosada, the firm’s managers informed Fernández that work on the project will begin this Wednesday, and will guarantee a flow of foreign currency from net exports of approximately 260 million dollars per year from its entry into value. the next 30 years.
Also, the directors of the sixth steel producer in the world They explained that the first stage plans an initial production of 25 thousand tons of lithium in the country, to reach 100 thousand tons in a later stage.
The project, which is located in the northern part of the Hombre Muerto salt flat, in the border area between the provinces of Salta and Catamarca, “will contribute to the generation of genuine foreign exchange to finance the needs of the local economy”, informed the Presidency through a statement.
The first phase of the works involves the construction of the new commercial lithium plant, in the framework project of the Sal de Oro project, while the second and third await the resolution of the agreements between the provinces of Salta and Catamarca, which will share the joint development of the project.
Posco has a presence in 53 countries and a payroll of 63,000 employees worldwide, and has also been a supplier to the South Korean automobile industry and shipyards for more than 40 years.
It has three business lines of steel (autos, construction, renewable energies), infrastructure (liquefied gas, agribusiness, and construction) and new businesses (lithium and battery materials, and hydrogen).
Fernández was accompanied at the meeting by the Minister of Productive Development, Matías Kulfas; by the Secretary of Mining, Fernanda Ávila; by the Argentine ambassador in South Korea, Alfredo Bascou; and by the national senator Guillermo Andrada.
On behalf of the company, the Executive Vice President, Yoo Byeong-Og; the head of the Argentine headquarters, Kim Kwangbok; and the local vice president, Chung Sung Kook.
