Albemarle announces plan to double lithium production by 2025

Albemarle Corporation, a global specialty company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A., said it will expand capacity at the company’s lithium production facility in Silver Peak, Nevada, U.S.A. 

Beginning in 2021, the company plans to invest USD30 million to USD50 million to double the current production at the Nevada site by 2025, making full use of its brine water rights. 

Additionally, in 2021 the company plans to commence exploration of clay and evaluate technology that could accelerate the viability of lithium production from clay resources in the region. 

Lithium is a critical mineral and key component in advancing green mobility and a more sustainable future. As global demand for electric vehicles (EV) grows, North American automotive manufacturers are seeking to regionalize their supply chain for greater security and sustainability. Albemarle’s investment in Silver Peak, which produces lithium from brine extracted from the Clayton Valley basin, will support this increased demand for domestic supply of lithium.

“As a leader in the lithium industry, our priority is to optimize our world-class resources and production. This includes Silver Peak, a site uniquely positioned as the only lithium-producing resource in the United States,” said Eric Norris, Albemarle president, Lithium. “This investment in domestic capacity shows that we are committed to looking at the many ways in which Silver Peak can provide domestic support for the growing EV market.”

In addition to examining clay resources, Albemarle is seeking ways to optimize lithium extraction from its brine resources, including those in the Clayton Valley. Through a Department of Energy-sponsored research project with Argonne National Laboratory, the company is investigating a process to streamline production of lithium hydroxide, which is principally used in EV batteries, from brine resources.

Albemarle’s domestic resources also include the historic 800-acre Kings Mountain, North Carolina, lithium site, which is one of the richest spodumene ore deposits in the world and home to the company’s global lithium technical center and piloting operations, as well as lithium-containing brines in Arkansas.