Albemarle's Kemerton Refinery in WA's South West Goes Big: Lithium Hydroxide Production to Double

Australia: Albemarle, one of the world's leading Lithium companies, has unveiled plans to expand its operations in Western Australia. The US-based company will construct two additional trains at its Kemerton site, located north of Bunbury, to increase its processing capacity for Lithium. This move comes as projections of a "bright" future for Lithium continue to attract more companies to the Western Australian region, which is rich in the valuable metal used in the production of batteries.

The Kemerton plant is set to double its Lithium Hydroxide production to 100,000 tonnes per year, effectively supporting 2.4 million electric vehicles annually. The expansion plan comes a year after the plant first came online, initially in a scaled-back capacity as compared to the original projection.

The decision to expand our Lithium ventures in WA was primarily driven by confidence in the future demand for this valuable metal. This expansion will enable to offer customers an additional supply of Lithium.

It's worth noting that Kemerton site is not the only Lithium venture being expanded in WA, indicating the growing demand for this resource in the region.

Greenbushes, Western Australia is set to become home to an even bigger Lithium mine, as construction begins on an expansion project. This mine is already the largest Lithium mine in the state, but this expansion will allow it to produce even more.

Wesfarmers announced that they are currently assessing expansion opportunities at their Mt Holland Lithium project. Mining company, Pilbara Minerals, revealed in a recent announcement that it plans to expand production capacity at its Pilgangoora Project located near Port Hedland. With all these projects underway, Western Australia is poised to become a major player in the global Lithium market.