Introduction

Half of the world’s reserves of “evaporative resources” , are thought to be in salt flats, distributed  throughout South America: Bolivia (Uyuni  - 12.000 km², Coipasa  - 3.300 km² y Empexa  - 483 km²),  Chile (Atacama  - 3.000 km² y Pedernales - 335 km²)  and Argentine (Arizaro - 1.860 km², Antofalla - 970 km², Hombre Muerto 640 km²  y Punta Negra 250 km²). In the near future these resources, as well as the world’s shift towards greener energy,  will allow Latin America to lead in the production of “evaporative resources” (lithium, magnesium, sodium, and boron) and many other extractable products derived from these reserves, mainly lithium as half of the world reserves of this mineral can be found in the above mentioned locations.

Therefore, and since 1974 Bolivia has been developing technologies in the processing of lithium, which has lead to the installation of a lithium carbonate pilot plant in Uyuni, which will allow to set in a medium term basis (2013) the support needed to construct the industrial plant of Rio Grande.

Among these extractable products, lithium shows the highest commercialization growth at global level, mainly due to its high potential as energy storage in batteries with application as resistive batteries in electronic devices such as computers, cell phones,  portable music players, camcorders, etc., or  power lithium-ion batteries used in EV due to it highest rechargeable and specific power.

Ibero-America is currently carrying on research in new technologies focused in lithium-ion batteries optimization and manufacturing and as well as in fuel cell, closing the loop in greener energy generation and storage technologies. Research centres in Bolivia, highly compromised with the potential of its evaporative resources, and the impact it has in reducing green gas emissions and  world's dependency  in fossil fuels, are carrying on research in lithium application, having reached important result in the past years.

Objectives

Assess the state of art in Science, Technology and Innovation focused in the transformation processes  of evaporative resources into basic chemical compounds (lithium carbonate and others) and their applications (lithium-ion batteries, ceramic, fertilizer, etc.) empathizing in the generation of product with aggregate value, through the meeting of scientist (researchers, technologists), the industrial sector (local and international) and the government of Bolivia.

Forum Themes

• Evaporative Resource Transformation and Industrialization (Lithium Carbonate, Sodium Chloride, Boric Acid and others) 

• Industrial development of products with aggregate value focused mainly in Lithium Batteries and its application in the automotive industry, special ceramic and glassy compounds.

Organized by

• Vice-ministry of Science and Technology from the Ministry of Planning for Development (OGI-Bolivia)
• Promotion and Industrial Development from CYTED.
• Ministery of Metallurgy and Mining.
• Ministery of Productive Development and Plural Economy.
• COMIBOL (Mining Corporation of Bolivia)

Methodology

The inaugural act and magistral dissertations will take place on Thursday morning, October 29th at the Chancellery's honour room, followed by the scientist, technologist and industrial dissertations which will take place at Plaza Hotel.

On October 30th at night, the different delegations will be transported to Uyuni Salt Flats, where the conclusions, forum closure act and the visit to the Lithium-Carbonate pilot plant of COMIBOL will take place.