La Negra (industrial complex)
La Negra | |
|---|---|
Industrial settlement | |
La Negra | |
| Coordinates: 23°46′31″S 70°19′0″W / 23.77528°S 70.31667°W | |
| Country | Chile |
| Region | Antofagasta |
| Province | Antofagasta |
| Municipality | Antofagasta |
| Elevation | 420 m (1,380 ft) |
| Population (2017[1]) | |
• Total | 60 |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (CLT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−3 (CLST) |
La Negra is a small industrial complex 22 km (14 mi) southeast of Antofagasta, Chile after crossing the coastal mountain range, in the Atacama Desert.[2] The complex includes a lithium battery production facility.[3][4][5] La Negra had 60 permanent residents as of 2017.[1]
Overview
Among La Negra industries, the two major ones are Altonorte, a copper smelter refinery, and Inacesa, a cement plant. It offers basic services for truckers and travelers in general. La Negra also has facilities for the processing of lithium concentrate obtained in Salar de Atacama.[6]
La Negra is also the intersection of the Pan-American Highway and the road from Antofagasta to Escondida Mine. It has a station on the Salta–Antofagasta railway.
Industry
There is a lithium production and battery conversion plant in the area, operated by Albemarle.[3][4][5] In 2024, the facility was visited by United States Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen.[2]
Austin Engineering operate a mining machinery manufacturing facility in La Negra.[7]
References
- ^ a b Chile: Ciudades, pueblos, aldeas y caseríos (PDF) (in Spanish), National Statistics Institute, March 2019, retrieved October 28, 2025
- ^ a b Shalal, Andrea (2024-03-02). "Yellen sees big jump in US imports from Chile, eyes progress on green transition". Reuters. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
- ^ a b "Chile to analyze 81 private lithium proposals, eyeing four projects by 2026". Reuters. 2024-07-09. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
- ^ a b "La Negra, Chile". Albemarle. 2024-05-22. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
- ^ a b "Albemarle opens La Negra". Speciality Chemicals Magazine. 2024-07-01. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
- ^ Cabello, J (2022). "Reserves, resources and lithium exploration in the salt flats of northern Chile". Andean Geology. 49 (2): 297–306. doi:10.5027/andgeoV49n2-3444. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ "Austin LA Negra, Chile". Austin Engineering. 2024-03-18. Retrieved 2024-12-23.