The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded grants totaling more than $290 million to Charlotte-based Albemarle Corp. and Belmont-based Piedmont Lithium Inc. to help each develop lithium processing operations, the Charlotte Business Journal reported.
It’s part of $2.8 billion in grants DOE recently announced to build and expand commercial-scale facilities in 12 states for extracting and processing lithium, graphite and other battery materials and manufacturing components. The federal funding comes from the $65 billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed last year.
Albemarle’s plans for Kings Mountain
Albemarle is slated to get $149.7 million in federal money — matched by $225.9 million from the company — for a $400 million project in Kings Mountain to refine concentrated spodumene (lithium ore) from a planned mine there. Those refined ores would go to Albemarle’s planned “mega-flex” lithium conversion facility, which it has slated to open somewhere in the Southeast by 2029. That facility will convert the refined ores to lithium hydroxide for battery manufacturing.
Albemarle spokesman Dan Blondeau notes the grant covers about 35% of the project’s cost.
“The DOE grant will help complete the ongoing engineering studies, followed by equipment purchases and construction of the facilities,” he says. “Special emphasis will be placed on leveraging the funds to support community workforce development activities in conjunction with our local community college and university partners.”
DOE says the project should lead to more than 200 full-time jobs in Kings Mountain when it is completed.
Albemarle CEO Kent Masters says the grant will strengthen the domestic supply chain for the electric vehicle market by increasing U.S. sources of lithium.
“Expanding our U.S. footprint also increases the speed of lithium processing and reduces greenhouse gas emissions from long-distance transportation of raw minerals,” Masters says. “We hope this project spurs additional investment by others in the domestic EV battery supply chain, such as cathode manufacturers, battery makers and auto manufacturers.”
Piedmont Lithium project slated for Tennessee
Piedmont Lithium’ $141.7 million grant will be paired with $430.4 million from the company to build a $600 million lithium hydroxide processing plant in McMinn County, Tennessee. That project is expected to create 120 jobs there, DOE says.
The Tennessee project is designed to be a low-cost source of lithium for the battery manufacturing supply chain. It is projected to expand the U.S. supply of lithium hydroxide by 30,000 metric tons per year.
“The U.S. government is putting investment dollars behind its policies to support energy independence and national security, and we are grateful to be selected to help spur critical, domestic development of the EV battery supply chain,” Piedmont Lithium CEO Keith Phillips says. “Over 80% of lithium hydroxide production today occurs in China. This grant will accelerate the development of the Tennessee Lithium project as a world-class lithium hydroxide operation, which is expected to more than double the domestic production of battery-grade lithium hydroxide in the United States.”
