Albemarle announces lithium Mega-Flex processing facility in South Carolina

Albemarle Corporation announced plans to locate its previously announced lithium hydroxide Mega-Flex facility in Chester County, South Carolina. Plans for the facility include an initial investment of at least $1.3B to help meet the surging demand for domestic and international electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries. The term Mega-Flex refers to the facility’s ability to process diverse lithium feedstock, including lithium from recycled batteries. Albemarle expects the facility to annually produce approximately 50,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium hydroxide from multiple sources, with the potential to expand up to 100,000 metric tons. Production at the facility would support the manufacturing of an estimated 2.4 million electric vehicles annually. The site also supports the Inflation Reduction Act, a federal law enacted in 2022 to incentivize the localization of critical minerals in North America. Pending permitting approvals, the facility will be located within a nearly 800-acre parcel. Albemarle estimates the facility will create more than 300 new jobs with an average annual wage of approximately $93,000. In addition, the project would create more than 1,500 construction jobs.