We were the first to develop the lithium industry in Chile with Corfo. We have more than 40 years of experience in the extraction and processing of brines and the production and dispatch of lithium salts and their derivatives. The company employs more than 1,100 workers and operates today at two production sites: the Salar de Atacama Plant, located in the heart of the desert of the same name, and the La Negra Chemical Plant, 27 kilometers from the city of Antofagasta.
In 2017 we signed an agreement with Corfo to extend the exploitation contract and increase the authorized quota for lithium production to 82 thousand tons per year until 2043. This contract sets out a number of requirements, which we are very proud to meet. For example, we pay the highest commission per kilo of lithium carbonate sold worldwide, more than 300% higher than in other countries. This commission can reach up to 40% on the sale price of the product and is calculated on the final price to the customer. In addition, we share 3.5% of our sales with the indigenous peoples who live in the Salar de Atacama.
Under this framework, by 2043 we will have made the largest contribution of the private sector to research and development, with an estimated contribution of 300 million dollars. With part of these funds, Corfo has already financed a Circular Economy Center in the northern macrozone and a Consortium for electromobility, two key areas for the country's development.
To achieve these objectives, Albemarle plans to expand its current operation in the Antofagasta Region and the construction of the necessary facilities for the production of high value-added products for the electric car battery market. All of the above has more than 500 jobs associated with the area and will be carried out with the environmental and brine extraction permits that the company currently has authorized in the Salar de Atacama.