Rio Tinto, BYD Among Prospective Partners of Chilean State-Owned Lithium Miner

(Bloomberg) — Rio Tinto Group and BYD Co. Ltd. were selected among prospective partners to develop lithium assets in Chile as part of efforts to tap more of the world’s biggest reserves of the battery metal despite slumping prices.

State-owned Enami released a shortlist of would-be partners for its early-stage Altoandinos project in the salt flats of Chile’s northern desert. The list, disclosed Thursday, also includes China’s CNGR Advanced Material Co. Ltd. and France’s Eramet SA as well as LG Energy Solution Ltd. and Posco Holdings Inc. of South Korea.