SANTIAGO, May 30 (Reuters) - Chile's state mining firm

ENAMI aims to start construction on its first lithium project in

the country as soon as 2027 or 2028, company chief Ivan Mlynarz

told Reuters, part of the government's push to boost its role in

production of the battery metal.

ENAMI, which processes copper for local mining companies,

has been tasked with spearheading the government's maiden

ventures into lithium alongside state mining giant Codelco.

Chile is the world's second largest producer of lithium,

which is a key material for most batteries that power electric

vehicles. The global shift towards EVs has created a rush by

carmakers and global powers for the ultralight metal.

ENAMI this month launched a search for a private partner to

offer financial backing or operational support for the project

at three salt flats known as the Salares Altoandinos in the

Atacama region in northern Chile.

Applicants must register by June 7, kicking off a selection

process that ENAMI aims to complete in March 2025.

"Right now we are developing the engineering basically so

the project can start construction around 2027 or 2028," Mlynarz

said in an interview on Wednesday, noting that the Finance

Ministry aims to have new lithium production in Chile by 2030.

"We have in mind partners that will see this through to the

end ... partners with the financial backing to guarantee that

resources are available, and that have the experience to develop

a project like this," Mlynarz added.

Only Chile's SQM and U.S.-based Albemarle

currently produce lithium in Chile, which has the world's

largest reserves of the white metal.

ENAMI expects to eventually produce about 60,000 metric tons

of lithium a year at Altoandinos, Mlynarz said, although

exploration is underway to gauge lithium concentration and other

data that will allow for more precise estimates.

ENAMI will take into account the amount of lithium available

and investment needed to determine the size of the stake it

takes in the project, which spans nearly 30,000 hectares of salt

flats known as Aguilar, La Isla and Grande.

French lithium company Eramet last year purchased

mining concessions in the same salt flats, with the aim to

secure approvals for lithium.

Mlynarz said a potential arrangement with Eramet would

depend on the type of lithium extraction to be used.

ENAMI in April received proposals from 30 firms including

Eramet, Rio Tinto and LG Energy to pilot

test extraction technology. It will choose five to seven with

the aim of using successful technology for future production.