Albemarle breaks ground to mark the start of construction of new lithium conversion facility

Albemarle breaks ground to mark the start of construction of new lithium conversion facility

On Friday, July 8, Albemarle leaders and government officials broke ground at the Pengshan Economic Development Park (Sichuan Province) to mark the start of construction of Albemarle’s new lithium conversion facility in China. The new capacity will help meet the rapidly rising global demand for high-performance lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.

The Meishan lithium conversion facility, with an initial target production capacity of 50,000 metric tons of lithium hydroxide per annum, will produce enough lithium to power more than 1.5 million new electric vehicles. Helping meet our sustainability target to grow our Lithium business in a carbon-intensity neutral manner through 2030.

President of Lithium Eric Norris delivered a speech via video during the ground breaking.

“Albemarle, a global company, has been deeply rooted in China for many years. Our investment in Meishan, China, has demonstrated our commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. These investments have demonstrated a milestone in a multiple-year journey of Albemarle to realize its long-term strategies.” said Norris.

China Country Manager and VP of External Affairs Gloria Xu emphasized that Albemarle sees its partnerships with China as an integral part of its long-term goals to benefit the world.

“Albemarle will build and operate the plant with the highest environmental and safety standards and continue to invest in the local community. The Meishan site, when completed, will become a responsible corporate citizen of the industrial park and a good neighbor of peer companies and villages in the area,” said Xu.

Albemarle signed investment agreements with the the Pengshan Economic Development Park in the Pengshan District (Sichuan province), as well as the Yangtze River International Chemical Industrial Park in the Zhangjiagang Free Trade Zone (Jiangsu province), in October 2021. Subject to additional studies and approvals, the Meishan expansion project will be completed by the end of 2024.

albemarle breaks ground in meishan china

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