Albemarle Corporation is a global leader in transforming essential resources such as lithium and bromine into critical ingredients for mobility, energy, connectivity, and health. Together with its world-class resources, technical and process knowledge, and safety and sustainability performance, Albemarle partners with its customers to pioneer new ways to move, power, connect, and protect.
The Need
Albemarle engaged GLS to conduct a location benchmarking study, site location search, and incentive negotiations for Albemarle’s lithium hydroxide mega-flex facility. The search region included several states in the southeastern US that had proximity to their raw materials and port access. The project required a site with significant acreage, rail, and highway accessibility, a skilled workforce, and substantial utilities. Additionally, GLS worked with a logistics partner to provide high-level logistics cost and carbon impact calculations to compare the competing locations.
The Solution
The company announced its lithium hydroxide facility in Chester County, South Carolina. 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.