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Released March 29, 2023 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Shares of Australian lithium miner Liontown Resources Limited (West Perth, Australia) were trading higher Tuesday after news that the company had rejected a purchase bid from the world's largest lithium producer, Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:ALB) (Charlotte, North Carolina), which valued Liontown at A$5.5 billion (US$3.7 billion). Industrial Info is tracking nearly US$5 billion worth of project activity involving Liontown and Albemarle.
Albemarle's offer was undoubtedly prompted by Liontown's Kathleen Valley lithium development in Western Australia, where construction of an aboveground lithium mine and processing plant is underway. Construction on the facility kicked off last year, and the mine is expected to begin production in 2024, ramping up to 500,000 tons per year of spodumene (lithium) concentrate and 430,000 tons per year of tantalum concentrate.
A proposed underground mine expansion is in the cards to be developed after three to four years of initial production. The processing plant is being designed with the option to expand throughput from 2.5 million tons per year to 4 million tons per year. The mine is expected to have a 40-year life. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Metals & Minerals Project Database can click here for related project reports.
While Liontown's Kathleen Valley development is almost certainly a significant driver in Albemarle's bid, Albemarle is not without projects of its own. Last week, the company announced that it had selected Chester County, South Carolina, as the site of a new lithium processing plant that will produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide using feedstock from the company's mines, as well as from recycled batteries.
To provide some of the feed for the processing plant, Albemarle has proposed restarting production of the Kings Mountain lithium mine in North Carolina, which ceased production in 1980. The open-pit mine would have a capacity of 2.7 million tons per year, and a flotation concentrator would produce 350,000 tons per year of spodumene concentrate. Subscribers can click here for the full report on the proposed reopening.
The South Carolina processing plant initially would produce 50,000 tons per year of lithium hydroxide, with a potential expansion already in the planning stage that would double this to 100,000 tons per year. Construction is expected to begin in late 2024 and would take an estimated two years to complete. Subscribers can click here for related project reports.
Feedstock for the processing plant also could come from Albemarle's Silver Peak lithium solution mine in Nevada, an expansion of which is underway. Last year, Albemarle began adding extraction wells, expanding evaporation ponds and optimizing the facility's processing plant to double production from 5,000 tons per year of lithium carbonate to 10,000 tons per year. The expansion project is expected to be completed in mid-2024. Subscribers can click here for more details.
But it's not just the U.S. where Albemarle is expanding its footprint. Industrial Info also is tracking projects from the company in China, Chile and Australia. Examples of projects include a grassroot lithium hydroxide refinery in Meishan, China, that will produce 50,000 metric tons per year of lithium hydroxide. Construction kicked off last year and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. Subscribers can click here for the full report.
Albemarle is establishing another lithium hydroxide processing plant near Bunbury, Western Australia, that will have two processing trains and be able to produce 100,000 tons per year of lithium hydroxide and 200,000 tons per year of sodium sulfate byproduct. The plant is expected to be completed later this year. A Stage 2 expansion already is in the engineering stage and would include construction of two more processing trains, each producing 20,000 tons per year of lithium hydroxide. The expansion is expected to begin soon after completion of the initial plant and take about two years to develop. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project reports for the grassroot plant and the expansion project.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view all of the reports for projects discussed in this article, and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
Albemarle's offer was undoubtedly prompted by Liontown's Kathleen Valley lithium development in Western Australia, where construction of an aboveground lithium mine and processing plant is underway. Construction on the facility kicked off last year, and the mine is expected to begin production in 2024, ramping up to 500,000 tons per year of spodumene (lithium) concentrate and 430,000 tons per year of tantalum concentrate.
A proposed underground mine expansion is in the cards to be developed after three to four years of initial production. The processing plant is being designed with the option to expand throughput from 2.5 million tons per year to 4 million tons per year. The mine is expected to have a 40-year life. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Metals & Minerals Project Database can click here for related project reports.
While Liontown's Kathleen Valley development is almost certainly a significant driver in Albemarle's bid, Albemarle is not without projects of its own. Last week, the company announced that it had selected Chester County, South Carolina, as the site of a new lithium processing plant that will produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide using feedstock from the company's mines, as well as from recycled batteries.
To provide some of the feed for the processing plant, Albemarle has proposed restarting production of the Kings Mountain lithium mine in North Carolina, which ceased production in 1980. The open-pit mine would have a capacity of 2.7 million tons per year, and a flotation concentrator would produce 350,000 tons per year of spodumene concentrate. Subscribers can click here for the full report on the proposed reopening.
The South Carolina processing plant initially would produce 50,000 tons per year of lithium hydroxide, with a potential expansion already in the planning stage that would double this to 100,000 tons per year. Construction is expected to begin in late 2024 and would take an estimated two years to complete. Subscribers can click here for related project reports.
Feedstock for the processing plant also could come from Albemarle's Silver Peak lithium solution mine in Nevada, an expansion of which is underway. Last year, Albemarle began adding extraction wells, expanding evaporation ponds and optimizing the facility's processing plant to double production from 5,000 tons per year of lithium carbonate to 10,000 tons per year. The expansion project is expected to be completed in mid-2024. Subscribers can click here for more details.
But it's not just the U.S. where Albemarle is expanding its footprint. Industrial Info also is tracking projects from the company in China, Chile and Australia. Examples of projects include a grassroot lithium hydroxide refinery in Meishan, China, that will produce 50,000 metric tons per year of lithium hydroxide. Construction kicked off last year and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. Subscribers can click here for the full report.
Albemarle is establishing another lithium hydroxide processing plant near Bunbury, Western Australia, that will have two processing trains and be able to produce 100,000 tons per year of lithium hydroxide and 200,000 tons per year of sodium sulfate byproduct. The plant is expected to be completed later this year. A Stage 2 expansion already is in the engineering stage and would include construction of two more processing trains, each producing 20,000 tons per year of lithium hydroxide. The expansion is expected to begin soon after completion of the initial plant and take about two years to develop. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project reports for the grassroot plant and the expansion project.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view all of the reports for projects discussed in this article, and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
