Albemarle Corporation announced it will idle the remaining operating train, Train 1, at its Kemerton lithium hydroxide processing plant in Western Australia and place it into care and maintenance effective immediately. Announcement follows actions in 2024 to place Train 2 into care and maintenance and to cease expansion plans for Trains 3 and 4. The Kemerton plant processes spodumene from the Greenbushes mine, one of the world's best spodumene resources. Albemarle holds ownership interest and half of the offtake rights from Greenbushes through an Australian joint venture.
Kemerton, with its proven technology and commercial scale lithium hydroxide production, was built to enable the development of a Western lithium supply chain. The decision is expected to be accretive to adjusted EBITDA beginning in the second quarter of 2026 with no impact to projected 2026 volumes. Albemarle will meet customer demand for lithium hydroxide through other production channels.
Albemarle's mining interests in Australia, including its holdings in Greenbushes and Wodgina and its exploration interests in Western Australia, are not impacted by the Kemerton decision as they remain core components of the company's strategy.
