Lake Resources Enters Public Consultation Phase for Kachi Lithium Brine Project

Lake Resources (ASX: LKE) has entered the final stage of the environmental approvals process for its flagship Kachi lithium brine project in Argentina.

The company confirmed authorities in Catamarca Province had formally initiated the statutory public consultation phase following the completion of the inter-agency technical evaluation phase by the Ministry of Mining.

The phase, which goes until the end of August, represents the final administrative process before the determination of Kachi’s Declaración de Impacto Ambiental (or environmental impact statement)—the primary permit required to move the project toward commercial construction.

Lake’s community relations team in Catamarca has been fully mobilised to ensure all stakeholders have access to Kachi’s data, environmental safeguards, and socioeconomic participation models during the consultation process.

Unique Ecosystem

Engineered alongside technology partner Lilac Solutions, Kachi’s direct lithium extraction (DLE) process was built from the ground up to protect the Catamarca region’s unique ecosystem.

It features subterranean brine preservation, an advanced extraction-reinjection loop designed to maintain hydrogeological balance by returning more than 95% of processed brine back into its native aquifer, freshwater safeguards that enable complete isolation of the lithium processing facility from local freshwater resources, and a minimised surface footprint through the elimination of massive evaporation ponds.

The Kachi project is focused on the production of consistent battery-grade (>99.5% purity) lithium carbonate onsite without the need for further refining or processing.

Environmental Attributes

Lake managing director David Dickson said the company looked forward to highlighting the project’s key environmental attributes during the consultation process.

"We welcome the formal opening of this public consultation phase by the Catamarca authorities, [and] highly value this phase as it focuses on our most important partners—the local communities,” he said.

“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.”

“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.”