Salar de Atacama

Salar de Atacama is SQM's flagship lithium brine extraction operation in Chile's Antofagasta Region (Province of El Loa, San Pedro de Atacama municipality). The Atacama salt flat covers ~820 km² and is leased from Chile's CORFO under a long-term agreement currently expiring in 2030 (with subsequent commercial framework under a 2025 partnership agreement with Codelco for the 2031-2060 period). Lithium is produced from in-situ brine within a porous halite aquifer through a network of pumping wells and evaporation ponds. The site also produces potassium chloride. SQM has filed Technical Report Summaries with the SEC for each material property. 2025 lithium carbonate production was 184.0 thousand metric tons; 2024: 179.5kt; 2023: 165.3kt. Average LoM process efficiency ~49% for lithium and ~76% for potassium. The Lithium Chemical Plant at Salar del Carmen near Antofagasta processes the concentrated brine; combined Li2CO3 capacity is 210ktpa and LiOH capacity is 40ktpa.