The Chilean Government has announced which of the country’s salt flats will be open to outside investment for the development of lithium extraction facilities, and that two will be reserved for government majority ownership. Officials have said that they will open a tender this month for the development of 26 salt flats within the country, set to conclude in July, as it aims to double its lithium output by the end of the decade. Both the Atacama and Maricunga salt flats will be reserved for majority government-ownership, but the government hasn’t ruled out working with private companies to develop other salt flats as well. Currently only SQM and Albemarle are actively extracting lithium from the country, both of which are…