Australian firm Galan Lithium has completed the commissioning of its 60,000 metric tonnes (t)/yr Hombre Muerto West (HMW) lithium chloride project in Argentina.
The firm has also processed HMW's first-ever lithium chloride batch, aiming to yield maiden production and first sales by the second half of this year.
Galan expects HMW to become the joint-largest lithium project in Argentina when it reaches its full 60,000t/yr capacity, although there is no timeline for that to happen. For now, the plant has a 4,000t/yr capacity, with ramp-up to 5,200t/yr scheduled to the first half of 2027.
The milestone officially makes Galan the eighth active lithium producer in Argentina, and officially completes the company's transition from an exploration company — referred to as juniors in the mining space — to a lithium miner and producer.
Argentina has the highest number of lithium producers in Latin America, and ranked second in global brine-based lithium production in 2025 behind only Chile, according to fellow producer SQM.
