POSCO Holdings has invested more than $2.7 billion, or about 3.7 trillion won, in lithium mining rights and its first two plants in Argentina’s Salta province. The company secured rights to the Hombre Muerto salt lakes in 2018 and added Hombre Muerto North this year, bringing the total area to 287 square kilometers. After years of losses, POSCO recorded its first operating profit of 11 billion won in the second quarter of this year. Park Hyun, head of POSCO Argentina, said second-half results should improve as the ramp-up (process of increasing output toward target levels) is complete and deep midwinter cold eases. POSCO plans early construction of its third and fourth brine lithium plants in 2027 and 2030, respectively. If the plans proceed, its Argentine brine lithium and Australian hard-rock lithium operations will form a system producing 173,000 tons annually by 2033, supporting its aim of becoming one of the world’s five largest lithium producers.