Lake Resources (ASX:LKE) begins final public consultation for Kachi lithium brine project in Argentina, a key step toward environmental approval and 2027 production target.
Lake Resources (ASX: LKE) has moved into the last administrative phase of environmental approvals for its Kachi lithium brine project in Argentina. Authorities in Catamarca Province formally opened the statutory public consultation period, which runs through the end of August, the company said. That step follows the inter-agency technical evaluation by the Ministry of Mining and precedes the final determination of the project's Declaración de Impacto Ambiental (environmental impact statement). The DIA is the primary permit needed to start commercial construction.
The Kachi project uses direct lithium extraction technology developed with Lilac Solutions. Lake has described the process as built around subterranean brine preservation, an advanced extraction-reinjection loop that returns more than 95% of processed brine to the native aquifer, and freshwater safeguards that isolate the processing facility from local water resources. The design also eliminates large evaporation ponds, the company said. The project targets production of battery-grade lithium carbonate at above 99.5% purity onsite, with no further refining needed.
Lake aims to deliver first lithium in 2027 and ramp to full capacity by the end of 2028. The company has said that timeline aligns with the start of a prolonged global structural deficit for battery-grade lithium chemicals.
Managing Director David Dickson said the company valued the consultation process as a focus on local stakeholders. "We have spent years engaging and working with local stakeholders and our technology was specifically chosen because it protects local water resources and minimises land disruption, directly reflecting the priorities of the community," he said.
"We look forward to an active, respectful, and constructive dialogue over the next 30 days as we work collaboratively toward securing our final environmental impact declaration and advancing Kachi into a sustainable, producing asset."
The consultation period ends in late August. After that, Catamarca authorities will decide on the DIA, the final regulatory hurdle before construction can begin. The outcome will determine whether Lake can proceed with its planned 2027 production start for a project that is one of the more advanced DLE developments in Argentina's lithium triangle.
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