Due to technological and environmental challenges, Bolivia hardly produces any. OTIS: Even so, the region's lithium output is just a fraction of what it could be. IGNACIO MEHECH: We are growing as the demand is growing, and today, we are a much bigger company than what we were just five years ago. Ignacio Mehech is the firm's country manager in Chile. Annual lithium production here at the Albemarle Mine has increased from 22,000 tons to 84,000 tons.

These three South American countries are known as the lithium triangle and together hold more than half of the world's proven lithium reserves. That's good news for Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. OTIS: In just the past year, lithium prices have jumped six-fold. They're in huge demand as nations phase out gasoline vehicles and build more wind farms and solar power plants. Next, the lithium solution is turned into a white powder and shipped abroad to make batteries. OTIS: It feels like you're dipping your fingers in to olive oil. OTIS: And that's why it's yellow because it's very concentrated? VALDEBENITO: This is the final part of the process with the brine have a 6% lithium concentrate. The whole evaporation process takes 18 months. OTIS: He says that as the sun evaporates the brine, it changes color as the lithium becomes more concentrated. company that operates this mine, explains why. Marcelo Valdebenito, an executive for Albemarle, a U.S.

The brine is 10 times saltier than seawater and ranges in color from Caribbean blue to green to mustard yellow. It's being transferred from one of the brine pools to another. OTIS: That's the sound of this greenish salt brine that contains lithium. Pumps are bringing salty groundwater called brine to the surface where it's stored in a series of enormous pools. JOHN OTIS, BYLINE: This is a lithium mine in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. And all of this has led to a boom in lithium mining, especially in Chile, where NPR's John Otis filed this report. The metal is used to make lithium-ion batteries for electric cars, solar panels and other green technologies. Around the world, demand for lithium is skyrocketing.

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